Fumes
by fixtures
Summary: "You said your husband was killed in a house fire," Rick said, wiping the tears from Ana's eyes. She was staring at the ground, trying to ignore the knot rising in her throat. "Negan was upstairs…he was asleep," her voice was choked, and with her head facing down she couldn't tell how Rick's face had gone from caring, to horrified. Rick/OC Negan/OC
1. Chapter 1

1.

Ana Sanchez arrived at Alexandria wearing little more than an assortment of dirty, bloody rags. Her weapons were nonexistent, save for a small pocket knife that she held onto at all times. Her black hair was matted against her bony olive cheeks; her hair was coated in a thick layer dried blood and grease. Her eyes appeared sunken and tired.

She came across the gate after a few days of traveling on her own. It was reluctantly opened by a tall man holding a rather large gun in his arms. Ana eyed the weapon cautiously and raised her hands in defense. The man raised the gun until it was pointing directly at Ana's small head. Her heart rate quickened as she stared down the barrel.

"Who is this?" a soft voice came from inside the gate. The man lowered the gun quickly and turned around. Ana peered inside, seeing a small blonde woman who was in her late sixties. She had a kind smile plastered across her face, and advanced towards Ana as soon as the two made eye contact.

"Ana Sanchez," Ana said politely, reaching out her hand to meet the woman's. Her hand was warm and welcoming.

"Deanna," the woman said in response. "Spencer, you can keep the gun lowered."

"Mom, we don't know who she is," the man named Spencer spoke up. His voice was smooth.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Ana said. She quickly fiddled with the knife in her hand and handed it towards Deanna. "This is my only weapon." After days of being alone in the wild without food, Ana would take whatever came her way. Although…this might have not been her smartest decision. She let her eyes slide over the view of the community inside the gate. Many houses were built along cleared streets. Kids played outside in freshly grown grass. A short-lived feeling of confusion rushed through her aching bones.

"Welcome to Alexandria," Deanna said in a happy tone. Ana wondered how people harbored such a happy voice anymore. Nonetheless, she forced a smile.

"What is this place?" she questioned. Deanna sighed in response but continued smiling.

"Why don't you come on in first? I'll have you seated, you can have some food and water."

Ana mumbled a quick thank you and followed Deanna through the gates. An air of calm set in as she entered the compound. Was it safe to call it a compound? She followed the shorter blonde to a decent sized house situated on a large plot of land. As Deanna opened the front to the house, Ana noticed groups of people peering from windows across the street, and a few of the kids that were playing were now watching her. She crossed her arms quietly and headed into the house.

Deanna seated Ana onto a hard wooden chair. She instantly felt regret as she looked down at the floor and noticed all the mud she trekked into the house.

"I'm sorry about the mud," Ana offered an apology as Deanna walked towards the sink, grabbing a glass and turning the faucet on. Ana quieted as soon as she saw the running water. How…

Deanna turned the sink off and sat on a comfy couch across from Ana. She handed Ana the glass of water as she lowered herself onto the cushions.

Ana desperately brought the glass to her lips and gulped down the water. "How did you get running water?"

Deanna laughed. "We have our ways. That's something we can discuss later, but for now-" Deanna groaned lightly as she stretched her arm towards a camera sitting on a tripod. Ana hadn't noticed it previously, but the idea of her being recorded made her rather uncomfortable.

"Don't worry, it's just for future reference. Now, could you state your name for the record?" Deanna questioned.

Ana's eyes darted around the beautiful house. Sunlight poured through the windows behind her head, heating her back and her neck. She nervously reached for her hair, twirling it in her fingers.

"Ana Sanchez," she said.

"How long have you been out there?" Deanna pushed.

Ana sighed, trying to think of the very beginning. "Since the beginning, I suppose."

Deanna raised her eyebrows. "And is it just you? Or do you have a group."

"Had a group," Ana smiled with sad eyes, "Actually a family."

"What happened?"

"A fire," Ana's eyes hardened as she took a deep breath, moving her nervous hands to her lap.

"I'm sorry."

Ana offered the smallest hint of a smile at Deanna's condolences. She shifted in her seat a bit, crossing one leg over the other.

"You don't seem very talkative now, I get that." Deanna leaned forward on the couch. "I'll have someone show you your house and you can get settled. There will be a small get-together tonight."

"Okay," Ana whispered, rubbing her arms in order to comfort herself. She stood up as soon as Deanna did, and followed Deanna to the front door. Before opening it, Deanna handed Ana her knife back.

"We don't let our people hold onto guns…but we have had a few walker incidents recently."

Ana took her knife and slid it into its holder. Deanna opened the door, allowing Ana to walk out into a small crowd of people anxiously waiting outside. All of their faces were clean, well-shaven, and sophisticated. Their clothes were intact, their hair was shiny and healthy.

"Aaron, show Ana her house. Next to Rick's," Deanna called to a young man in the crowd. He instantly left the group and climbed up the small steps onto the porch, smiling as he introduced himself.

"Aaron," he said, shaking Ana's hands. She reciprocated her introduction and then followed him. The small crowd was hushed as the observed Ana's dirty clothes and face. As soon as Ana was out of earshot, they began started asking Deanna questions. Aaron noticed Ana glancing over her shoulder constantly, trying to figure out what they were saying.

"They're curious as to who you are," Aaron explained in a calm tone. His navy blue jacket blew lightly from the wind, hitting Ana's side as he led her to her new house. "We just lost a large group of people. I'm sure they're simply concerned about how trustworthy you are." Ana nodded in response, looking forward again and glancing at the rows of huge houses that crowded one block. They reminded her of houses she constantly admired along the boardwalk in New Jersey. After a minute or two of walking, Ana and Aaron came across a large two-storied grey house with a magnificent layout.

"This is where you'll be staying," Aaron informed Ana. She couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her lips. She would be staying in the house that resembled her dream home. She walked to the curb, placing her hands on her hips and squinting as she observed the architecture.

"Thank you," was all she could manage.

The soft sound of a front door closing brought Ana's attention away from the house. She gazed two houses down, at a man in a dark brown shirt and jeans who was staring straight back at her. He quickly descended the stairs of his porch and marched angrily in her direction. His stride was long and calculated, his feet smacking on the pavement with some sort of quieted rage. Ana crossed her arms and looked down at her feet, hoping to stay out of this ensuing fight.

"Who is this?" the man said when he was within earshot. His voice was raspy with a hint of a Southern accent. Ana refused to raise her eyes to his level and instead took a step behind Aaron. Aaron forced a small smile and gestured to the woman.

"This is Ana Sanchez, newest member of Alexandria," he informed the fuming man.

"And you're inviting new people in here without telling me? What if she came to kill us all?"

Ana furrowed her brow and closed her eyes. She knew Southerners were judgmental but…

"You can talk to her all you want, just let her get settled," Aaron pleaded.

"I'd like to talk to her before she gets settled."

A hand shot out and grabbed Ana's wrist. The man's hand pulled her wrist away from her chest and towards him. He hauled her away from Aaron, his feet slamming on the pavement as she was basically dragged towards his house.

"Rick!" Ana heard Aaron call. She looked over his shoulder at Aaron. He stood stagnant, his feet mounted in place as he called for Ana's return.

"Tell Deanna I'll be at her house in an hour," the man called Rick shouted in Aaron's direction. His calloused fingers held onto Ana's wrist with force, with anger. He led Ana up the stairs to his house, and flung open the door. Fresh, cool air greeted her face as did an array of faces sitting in the living room. Their eyes instantly drifted in her direction. One woman with short gray hair stood up from her seat amongst the others and walked towards the front door.

"Rick, who is this?"

Despite her words, Rick continued dragging Ana towards a staircase, muttering something about informing the group later. As Ana was dragged from the bottom stair to the top, her wrist started throbbing. Rick's grip was getting tighter as he led her around the corner to a bedroom. At once, he let go of her wrist and shoved her in the direction of a patterned sofa. It resided in the corner of the large bedroom, facing the king sized bed. Rick closed the door behind him, swiftly locking it and removing a knife from his waistband. Ana fell on the sofa and reached for her wrist, rubbing away the red hand marks.

"Who are you?" Rick demanded, raising his knife and approaching her.

She raised her hands above her head as she informed him of her name for the second time. "Ana Sanchez."

"I know that," Rick muttered. "Your best bet of getting out of here is by not being a smart ass. Are you alone?"

"Yes!" Ana shouted in fear, curling into a ball on the sofa. "I'm alone, there's no one else."

"How did you get here?"

"I-" Ana stuttered in fear.

"I said how did you get here!"

"I came upon the wall while looking for food. Please don't hurt me, I don't mean any trouble," Ana begged.

"I can tell," Rick lowered his knife and took a seat on the edge of a bed. It caved under his weight. He placed his hands on his lap and looked at the girl.

Ana placed her hands down as she uncurled her body and got a good look at Rick. He was squinting in her direction, his blue eyes quickly running over her tired body. They paused when they saw the knife at her waist. Ana slowly reached for it, removed it from its holster and tossed it on the floor. Rick retrieved it, making eye contact with Ana. His eyes were terrifying, cold and distant. He quickly placed the knife next to him on the bed and ran his hand through his dark brown hair.

"This place is my family. Hurt them, I hurt you," Rick threatened, boring a hole into Ana's eyes. She nodded in response.

"I need to have a talk with Deanna. You can go back to your house." In a second, Rick had unlocked the door and left the room. Ana sat speechless for a moment or two. Is this what a safe haven looked like?

 _reviews/critiques are welcomed and appreciated._


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Warm, bloody water trailed from Ana's tanned legs down the drain in the center of the shower. She turned around and allowed clear water to trickle onto her face. Her hands ran through her hair, unknotting strands as they went. Ana had been in the shower for well over an hour as the shower offered considerable warmth, but also because her body was completed covered in muck. The air around her and even the shower door was painted with condensation. Ana realized that more steam meant a warmer environment to step out into until she found clean clothes.

Her new house consisted of four bedrooms and three baths. The three bedrooms on the second floor had closets filled with various clothes in different sizes. Ana's best bet was finding something to wear amongst those closets. The kitchen on the first floor was already filled with pastas and cans of vegetables. She hadn't scoured the entire kitchen and assumed more snacks awaited behind closed cabinets.

So, after Ana's shower, she scavenged the closets and came across a pair of black jeans and a long black v-neck. The jeans were one size too big, however, after tucking the shirt into her waistband, Ana found that it fit perfectly. She wouldn't have a bra until she washed her own, but decided it wouldn't be a big deal. Ana headed downstairs where she was met with a pile of dirty clothes and her trusty knife. She slid the knife into her waistband, ignoring the holster. Then, she took her pile of clothes and placed it by the front door as a reminder to ask Deanna how to do laundry; she wasn't sure if the washer machines were functional, or if they preferred using a more natural source of water.

Ana was about to grab something to eat when she reminded herself of the small get-together later on. Casting a look outside, she saw that the light was diminishing. If she ate now, eating at the party would make her sick. If she refused food, she might be seen as rude. Instead, Ana walked to a white sofa that resided in the middle of the living room. She sat down, resting her head against the headrest and observing the room. Small paintings were hung around a large flat screen TV. There was no remote in sight, so Ana figured that cable had gone to shit along with everything else. There was a small collection of books underneath the glass coffee table in front of the sofa. Most of them seemed to be classics such as 1984 and Of Mice and Men. After scanning through the titles, Ana reached under the table and picked out The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. She quickly read the back summary, then opened to the front page and began to read.

It didn't seem like long before a knock on the front door of the house brought the book down from Ana's eyes. She hadn't noticed how dim the room was. There was just enough light to make out the words on the page. The knock came again, bidding Ana to raise from the sofa and make her way towards the door. She opened it and squinted at Spencer's familiar face.

"Hello," Spencer said, giving her the once-over. She did the same, noticing he changed into a nice dark blue shirt with a pair of jeans. "Deanna wanted me to see how you were settling."

Ana nodded, moving out of the doorway so he could enter. He glanced down at the pile of clothes next to the door.

"I didn't know where you did wash," she explained quickly. Spencer chuckled lightly.

"I'll take care of it." He leaned down, about to pick them up when Ana placed her hand on his arm.

"I don't want to get that shirt dirty," she admitted. "My clothes are soaked with mud."

Spencer stood up as Ana lowered her arm. "I'll come get them after the party then." He widened his eyes as if he realized something he had forgotten. "That's right! The party. My mom wanted me to come get you for that as well."

After a look of uneasiness crossed Ana's face, Spencer continued speaking. "Don't worry, it won't last too long. There's another meeting tonight that'll probably cut the party's time in half."

Ana forced a small smile. "I'm ready whenever," she said. Despite her words, Ana despised get-togethers and preferred to stay indoors. She wasn't about to be rude to her new saviors, and decided to get over herself in a quick moment.

"Alright," Spencer beamed, gesturing for Ana to exit the house. As she did, Spencer closed the door behind her and began leading her back to Deanna's house.

Despite the setting sun, it was still humid outside. The heat killed Ana's energy and hurt her head. Luckily Deanna's house was a short distance away, and the fans inside instantly cooled her body to a comfortable temperature.

The house wasn't as crowded as Ana assumed it would be. Whereas she imagined a large crowd of fifty people, there were only about twenty. Of them she recognized Deanna, Aaron, and Rick. Deanna stood near Rick, who was conversing with a young blonde woman and chuckling at almost everything she said. His face was covered in a series of white bandages that stood out like a sore thumb. Aaron stood near another male, who was chatting with him and offering him a glass of wine. Most of the new faces turned their heads as soon as Ana came through the front door with Spencer. Deanna noticed her entrance as well and was instantly at her side, introducing her to the crowd.

"This is our new community member, Ana Sanchez." Deanna then went about introducing to Ana to the various faces, including her husband, Reg and Aaron's boyfriend, Eric. Ana was also introduced to the gray haired woman in Rick's house, Carol. She was taught that the girl Rick was talking to was named Jesse, and she had two sons.

After all the introductions were said and done, Ana retreated to the corner of a room with a glass of wine. She leaned against a wall and observed the crowd as they chatted amongst themselves. A lot of them seemed joyous and happy. The whole situation felt weird, since they were in the middle of an apocalypse. The world went to shit and people were still able to smile and raise a few.

The sun set soon after, and Ana decided it was an appropriate time to leave. She had observed a few other people return home, and figured that her leaving wouldn't be a strain. Spencer was in the middle of a deep conversation with his parents and a few other neighbors; Ana figured he could come get the laundry tomorrow. On her way out, she placed her wine glass on a counter next to the sink in the kitchen.

Luckily the humidity levels lowered in the few hours Ana was in the house. While it was still hot out, it was more bearable. A small breeze blew through Ana's hair as she glanced around the neighborhood. Shadows fell across the roads, taking the shapes of objects that did not resemble the trees casting them. She heard a few footsteps around the corner of a house, and in response removed the knife from her waistband. She remembered Deanna's warning about previous walker incidents. Ana slowed her breath, taking a few quiet footsteps as she rounded the corner of the house.

She was surprised when she came face to face with the same terrifying blue eyes from earlier that day. Rick held a knife up to her face as he pinned her against the wall of the house. In a quick moment, he realized it was Ana and let her go, lowering the knife. In the few seconds it took for his actions to unfold, Ana hadn't so much as breathed. When she realized what happened, she slid her knife into its holding place and pursed her lips.

"I'm sorry," Rick whispered in a low voice. "Things have been happening lately, we're all a little on edge."

"So everyone who comes from Deanna's house, you assume they're one of those things?" Ana questioned, her voice equally as quiet. She brought her hand to the back of her head, scratching it lightly.

"Most people make more sound than you do. They don't travel alone at night."

Ana wasn't sure how to reply, and remained silent. She was curious about the bandages, but figured now was not a good time to ask what happened. Rick sighed and placed his hands on his hips. Eventually, he opened his mouth again.

"You should get home. It's late." His voice was louder this time.

Ana nodded in agreement. "I should," she said. Without another word, she walked past Rick with a quickened pace.

Rick looked over his shoulder at the new girl after a few moments, making sure she was walking in the correct direction.

Ana's house was dark, although she had no problem with it. Her eyes were tired and her body exhausted from keeping a façade at the get-together. She trudged through the house, using only the moonlight to guide her. She slipped once on the stairs, managing to bang her knee without doing too much harm. Ana gasped in pain but picked herself up and continued up the stairs. Once she made it to the top, she remembered that there was a bedroom downstairs. She mentally scolded herself and entered the first bedroom she could find.

The bed was large, at least a king, with a white duvet cover and an assortment of small colorful pillows. There was another small array of books on an end table next to the bed. Ana paid them no mind, telling herself she would read in the morning. She climbed onto the soft bed and quickly crawled under the covers. It wasn't long before she met her long lost love; sleep.

A couple of hours passed. Ana woke in the middle of the night, unsure why but she remained cautious. She wasn't one to wake easily. Minutes passed and Ana listened to the rhythm of her breathing before an unearthly sound floated throughout the community. Someone was screaming, letting loose a series of gut-wrenching cries. Following the cries, Ana heard shouting, a gunshot, and then silence.

 _i hope this chapter was enjoyable. reviews and critiques are always welcomed!_


	3. Chapter 3

3.

 _Two months later_

Ana woke about an hour after she fell asleep; she woke along with the sun, grabbing a pillow from her dirty bed and heading out to the porch to watch the sun rise. Ana figured that she needed to wash the sheets eventually, but for now using a different bedroom every two weeks worked. She was wearing her clothes from the previous day, a brown t-shirt and pair of jean shorts. The air was chilly, and cooled her face as she placed her pillow on a stair and sat on it. The community was quiet, although after the death of more than thirty members she hadn't expected any less. A few Alexandrians were already outside, making reparations as soon as possible. They were worried another attack was inevitable.

Ana looked at her hands, twirling her knife between her fingers. She tried to be of more help during the initial invasion of walkers. She had lost count of how many she killed, although it seemed like a million.

Ana blinked and memories of Deanna's death flooded to the surface. She shook her head in pain and opened her eyes. A small tear ran down her cheek as she looked towards the sky. She placed the knife down on the porch and wrapped her arms around herself as a way to give herself a hug. Everyone she enjoyed talking to was dying…Jeff, Sandra, Colin.

The sun was offering its first hint of itself as the clock struck six. A laugh brought her attention away from her sadness. A few doors down from Ana's house, Carl was sitting in the grass with Judith. His eye was still bandaged from Ron's assault, although the kid seemed to be getting over it. Judith was crawling around in the grass, pulling at the pieces of green and shoving them towards her mouth. Carl was laughing as he pulled the grass away from her lips. Soon, Rick exited the house alongside Michonne. They usually left the house together in the morning. Ana figured there was something going on between them, but kept the information to herself.

Rick's eyes drifted over Carl, Judith and then looked to the side at Ana. She kept his attention for a moment, observing how his posture changed upon the connection.

Ana didn't like Rick. His eyes haunted her. Sometimes it seemed as if he was too impulsive in his decisions, thought too much about the good of his original group than the good of Alexandria. They barely talked to each other, and the rare occurrences where they were forced to talk winded up with an awkward silence that had Ana wishing she hadn't spoken.

Ana broke eye contact after she became uneasy. She instead looked up at the sky again. Clouds were drifting over Alexandria, and she had fun picking patterns and animals out of them. Time passed and the sun rose. Instead of moving back inside, Ana continued observing the community while it came back to life. She watched as Sasha left her house to resume watching the walls, watched as Daryl patrolled around the community with his crossbow strapped across his back, watched as Carl handed Judith to Carol and bounded off to find Enid. After that, the road was quiet for a long time. Ana heard conversations off in the distance, but she couldn't decipher what the people were saying, or who was saying what. Finally bored of her venture outside, she stood up, grabbed her pillow and turned towards her door.

"Ana."

Ana reluctantly turned around. Rick stood at her steps, hand on his gun. She placed the pillow down on the porch and walked down the steps, stopping on the second to last one in order to gain a height advantage over the intimidating man. She glanced up and down the street, curious as to where he came from. She noticed that Carol had stepped into the house, and that Aaron seemed to be exiting his house alongside Eric. There seemed to be no clear path that Rick took, so she dropped that question. Instead, she focused on the reason he came to talk to her. He rarely did.

Rick allowed his stubble and hair to grow out a bit. Ana knew that Jesse cut his hair but she figured that he hadn't been able to find another stylist since she died.

"You came upon this place while exploring out there," Rick said. Ana nodded. "D'you ever see any homes, or stores? Any place that might have supplies or food?"

Ana frowned in thought. Before she stumbled upon Alexandria, she was living in a small cabin that had a minimal food supply. Most days she hunted for a squirrel or rabbit to eat. However, she remembered there were a couple of medical supplies, books, and cans of food stashed in a bag under the floorboards.

"I stayed in a cabin-"

"Where?" Rick interrupted. Ana glared down at the man, taking a breath before continuing.

"In the middle of woods or something, I can't describe how to get there."

"Could you show us?"

"Who's us?"

"Me, Daryl," Rick began.

"When?" Ana asked.

"About now would be a good time. Starting to get low on food…people are worrying."

Ana mulled over the idea for a few moments. Perhaps Rick was actually starting to trust her. If she said no, the trust would curl up and die. If she said yes, she might lead them in the wrong direction. Thus coming to the same conclusion. She placed her hand on her chin, debating over the options. If she lead them in the wrong direction, she could always explain her bad memory. If Rick didn't believe her, maybe she would be shoved out of the car. Forgotten.

Maybe it was best to not put herself in that situation at all.

"I need an answer," Rick said, cocking his head to the side.

"I-I'm not positive on it's l-loc-location," she starting stuttering, which she had a habit of doing when placed in tense situations. Rick audibly exhaled, obviously in frustration. He pondered over his choice of words as Ana stared nervously at him. Eventually he nodded his head, parting his lips to speak.

"That's…that's fine. Look, Daryl will drop us off as the closest point. He'll continue on for a few miles or so, see if he finds anything. You'll show me to the cabin."

It seemed like a sound plan, although Ana worried about letting the group down. "And if we find it?" she asked. "How will you tell Daryl to come get us?"

Rick pointed to the walkie-talkie attached to his belt. He reached for it, pressed a button and mumbled a string of words into it.

"Oh," Ana said quietly. For a moment, she stared down at her bare feet.

"We should get going," Rick ultimately said. Ana acknowledged his words by continuing down the steps of the porch. Her head went below Rick's nose as her feet hit the pavement.

Wait...shoes.

Without saying anything, Ana quickly ran inside the house and grabbed a pair of sneakers, slipping them on without any socks. As a kid, her mother scolded her for not wearing socks. The shoes began to stink twice as fast, which wore a hole in her mother's wallet. Her mother was dead now, and Ana was used to smelling bad.

Rick was still waiting outside, his eyes landing on the pair of mud ridden sneakers on Ana's feet. Ana hurried down the steps and Rick started walking forward. They walked in silence, mostly because Ana had nothing to say in fear of offending Rick or embarrassing herself. It seemed as if Rick had no problem with it. He respected the lack of conversation, actually enjoyed being able to walk quietly next to someone.

Waiting at the front gate of Alexandria was Daryl Dixon, wearing his normal biker's jacket. His hair was hanging in his face, dirt caked into every wrinkle. He was altogether dirty, although he still bore a strikingly handsome complexion. Ana had only had one or two conversations with him, most of the time because she was curious about what situation the group was in. He was nice enough, but was never able to hold a meaningful conversation with the girl.

"Y'guys ready?" he asked, slinging his crossbow across his back and placing his walkie-talkie onto his pants. Rick nodded and placed a hand on the small of Ana's back, pushing her in the direction of a black Chrysler. She instantly picked up her pace, feeling uncomfortable with the gesture. As soon as she was going in the right direction, and Rick removed her hand, her body eased itself. She opened the back door of the car and slid in, her legs instantly burning as they touched the hot leather seats. Daryl sat in the passenger seat and Rick took the driver's seat. It felt a bit odd sitting in the back seat of a car for the first time in a year or so. Her legs were scrunched towards her torso due to Daryl's seat being pushed back to its limit. Ana didn't feel like complaining, and adjusted her body until she was in a comfortable position.

Eugene had been waiting patiently next to the gate. As soon as Rick put the car into drive, he slid the gate open and allowed them to exit. Ana heard the gate crash shut as soon as they were outside the walls. She also heard the growls of a walker that collided with a wooden spear jammed into a run-down car's window. Her eyes followed it as the car advanced down the road. It disappeared a minute later along with the rest of Alexandria. Ana turned her head forward and tried to pay attention to surroundings. It was important that she pointed out a familiar place.

They came upon the familiar place precisely 20 minutes later.

"Here!" Ana said. Rick instantly stepped on the brakes, sending Ana's face into Daryl's seat. "Sorry," she apologized, rubbing her injured forehead.

"No 'm sorry," Daryl replied, reaching to the side of his seat. It started to inch forward. "Forgot my manners."

Ana smiled, despite her head. Rick looked back at her.

"Is this the place?" he asked.

Ana nodded, reaching for the car door.

"Stay in the car," Rick said, pausing her action as he exited the car with his gun in his hands. Daryl followed suit as they observed the area. It was then that Ana realized how unprepared she was. She had no gun, no weapon besides her handy-dandy knife although she was starting to doubt the knife's integrity if multiple walkers attacked her at once. Though, having Rick around made her feel safer. He had been able to take down more walkers than she had ever seen someone do. And he did it alone.

Rick opened the car door since he deemed the immediate surrounding environment as safe. "Come on," he told Ana, stepping away from the car door as Daryl entered the driver's seat.

"See ya soon, short stack," he said to Ana. Ana's heart lightened at the small nickname. With ease, she pushed open the car door and stepped onto smooth asphalt. Rick was squinting at the sun, his hand over his eyes. When he looked down again, his eyes landed on Ana.

"Alright come on," he said, "Where to?"

Ana's eyes were fixed on a large trunk with a deep chunk coming out of the bottom. She remembered walking past it to the road. So, she started walking forwards. Rick followed closely behind, his gun raised the entire time.

It took half an hour until Ana realized she was lost. Her body was shaking as she tried to figure out her way through the damn woods without letting Rick know she was confused. She turned left, and then right, and then left. Maybe she should go straight for a bit.

The couple stayed silent for a long period of time. Ana was quite since she was scared that she would start stuttering, and Rick wanted to let Ana concentrate.

"We lost?" Rick said after some time. Ana paused, looking around at the same trees in confusion, about to admit defeat. Her eyes landed upon a large stone, a few walkers treading around it aimlessly. Her hopes lifted, the stone was a sign of the cabin. Find the stone, find the cabin.

"Nope!" she said in a joyous voice, pointing towards the walkers. Rick cursed quietly and started walking towards the roamers, his gun now holstered and his knife raised. Though he tried to watch where he was going, his foot falling upon a dry twig attracted the dead's attention. He sighed in annoyance, and counted four of them, all heading towards him. Ana was quickly at his side, her knife at her chin as well. Rick walked towards the closest one, easily bringing his knife to its temple and squishing it through. It fell with a thump as he faced three more. He pivoted around them, until he was closest to the stone. Ana approached the one trailing behind the rest, sinking her knife into its head. The skull cracked underneath her knife. When she raised her eyes, she saw Rick taking down yet another one. Silently competing against him, she jogged to the last walker. It was a female; her hair had fallen out almost completely. It continued strolling towards Rick, its arms open wide as if asking for a hug. He was busy pulling his knife out of the walker he just killed, his eyes focused down instead of up.

Ana took the opportunity and ambushed the dead female, pushing it onto the ground before crawling on top of it and stabbing its head a total of three times. After it ceased to move, Ana stood up and placed her knife into her waistband and looked at Rick. His face had a few speckles of blood in it, his hands coated. Ana assumed she was just the same, although her hands were a little less messy.

Ana looked past Rick, seeing the cabin a little less than 100 yards away, nuzzled near a creek and a few large trees. Rick stepped over the bodies of the dead and stood next to Ana.

"How many walkers have you killed?" he asked out of nowhere. Ana raised her eyebrows, turning her head to look up at Rick. His eyes were facing straight, surveying the cabin for any threats.

"Huh?" Ana said.

"How many?" Rick repeated.

"I don't know."

"How many people?"

Ana quieted, thinking. It took a second for her to respond. "A few."

"Why?"

Ana crossed her arms. "Self defense," was the answer she resorted to. When Rick didn't reply, she continued the conversation. "And you? How many walkers?"

"Too many to count," Rick chuckled, running his bloody hand through his hair quickly, finally lowering his gaze to meet Ana's.

"And people?"

"Again, too many to count," he said, dragging out the oo in too.

"Why?"

"To protect my group and the people I love." His face grew grim. Ana could tell he was recalling certain death situations and wished she hadn't asked him anything. She met his gaze with wavering eyes. He held it for a moment, his dreadful eyes looking into her brown ones. She clenched her jaw together, blinking and then looking away.

"Come on," she whispered, starting towards the cabin. Without saying anything, Rick followed.

 _i apologize if it seems like the story is slow, i really want to develop Ana's character and relationship with Rick before introducing Negan. that said, this chapter takes place around s6 ep10. from now on, ill be following the plot of the show, with added scenes involving Ana. i know rereading the entire show with an added character can be boring, which is why a lot of my story will focus on Ana's activities instead of just the group's. hopefully you understand what i mean, and you'll enjoy the ride._

 _reviews and critiques/criticisms are always welcomed, and thanks to all the readers who take their time to read my story_


	4. Chapter 4

The cabin was deserted with no walkers in sight. Its front door was slightly ajar, which slightly worried Ana. It was wooden, although the wood was damp with mold and moss growing on the inside. It harbored a total of three windows, two in the front and one in the back. Ana had wanted to move from the cabin because she had a hard time deeming whether or not it was safe to leave by looking out the windows.

There was no second floor, and the cement basement was flooded because of broken pipes. The bed in the only bedroom was rickety, so Ana preferred to sleep on the couch that sagged to the ground underneath her weight. She had made a small fire pit where a stove once stood, so that smoke could gently rise into the chimney instead of into the house. Every time she cooked, Ana made sure that the smoke didn't turn black.

Now, she looked up at the house, almost disgusted that she lived here when she was a few miles away from Alexandria the entire time. Rick said no words, only grabbed his knife and prepared to kill some walkers.

Ana walked to the front door. There was no porch, yet the cabin was lifted slightly off the ground. She stepped up and pushed the door open, knife at the ready in case anything was about to jump out at her. When she didn't hear any sounds, she walked further in, the floorboards creaking underneath her sneakers.

The cabin looked just as it had last time she was there, and nothing was out of place. Her couch still had a blanket strewn across it, the fire pit still had a crusty pan on top of it. With a small grin, Ana happily walked towards the floorboard where she kept her bag. It was to the right of the couch, the floorboard next to the pink tiles that decorated the kitchen floor. While she did so, Rick scoped out the rest of the cabin, assuring that no walkers would be sneaking up on the two. When he was finished, he walked into the living room to find Ana digging through the floor. He advanced towards the couch, and noticed pictures on top of the coffee table. A few of them were of Ana and another man. The man was taller than she was, had black hair and a long face. They were both smiling at each other. Rick let loose a sad smile, remember how he found his house emptied of all the pictures. He also wondered who the man was, surprised that Ana never told him or anything that she had a family.

Ana grabbed the black duffel bag from underneath the floor, heaved it onto her shoulders and turned around to see Rick staring at her pictures. His posture was relaxed now. She walked towards him and grabbed the pictures, shoving them into a free pocket in the bag.

"I can carry that," Rick offered. Ana shook her head.

"You have the gun," she reminded him. Without a response, she headed towards the front door. She knew that Rick would have an idea of where the highway was, so she let him lead.

Ana walked at a brisk pace behind Rick, constantly shoving the strap of the duffel bag towards her neck. The heavy contents weighed her down, so Rick maintained at least a two-yard lead. Ana curiously watched as Rick led her back to the highway, confused on how he knew which way was which. He seemed to be a walking compass. As they had on their way to the cabin, they walked in complete silence. Every so often, Ana heard a small sigh or a sharp intake of breath from the man but he said nothing other than that. She figured he was the same as her, only saying what needs to be said without much small talk. Or maybe he wasn't comfortable around her yet. Then again, she wasn't exactly cozying up to his personality either.

The fact that he walked ahead of her had some merit, though. It proved he trusted her not to ambush him, even if he didn't trust her enough to discuss future plans with her.

Her feet crunched down on the leaves and twigs beneath her sneakers. Besides this, Ana heard nothing but the soft sound of wind blowing through dense branches, and Rick's breaths. In front of her, she saw a clearing in the woods, where she assumed the road was. She internally thanked Rick because a few minutes ago she started to assume they were lost. Her feet continued forward as she looked up at the sky, trying to find the sun shining through a mass of green leaves. Rick stopped abruptly, but with her head up she hadn't noticed. As she continued walking forward, she felt herself collide with the man.

He turned around and stared at her for a minute. Lowering her head, her eyes met his.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, and took a few steps backwards. Rick remained indifferent to the situation, and reached towards his belt. He loosened his walkie-talkie and spoke directly into it.

"Daryl?" he asked.

No response. Rick muttered something under his breath and tried again.

"Daryl?" His voice was more stern, almost agitated.

When there was still no response he said, "shit."

"Maybe he found a place," Ana said.

"What?" Rick asked.

Ana wasn't sure whether Rick didn't understand the sentence or didn't hear her, so she sheepishly repeated it. He continued looking at her for a moment, before nodding and bringing his hand up to his chin to think.

"Yeah," he said, "yeah he might've found some supplies." He continued thinking as Ana watched the gears in his head turn. "We're a dozen miles from Alexandria."

"Should we walk back?"

"You think you can carry it that far?" Rick asked, pointing to the back. Ana said yes, despite the fact that the strap on her shoulder was starting to create a mark. She quickly switched shoulders, and advanced towards the highway. Rick strode beside her at a calm pace and soon enough, their feet hit solid asphalt. Before she could ask which way they came, Rick picked a direction and lead her forwards again. She didn't mind dragging behind him, but was also curious as to why he wouldn't walk next to her.

The sun was already starting to set above Ana, so she figured it was about four or five. Time had passed rather quickly. Once again, the bright sun started to hurt her head. She realized she had no water on her after her saliva production decreased. She spotted a bottle in Rick's pocket, but was conflicted as to what he would say should she ask for it. Eventually, she became thirsty enough to confront him. His head turned down at her as she eyed the water bottle.

"Can I have some?" she asked. Surprisingly, Rick answered by pausing, removing the water bottle from his pocket and tossing it at her. She grabbed it with both hands and anxiously screwed off the lid, pouring a small amount into her mouth and swishing it around. After a few swishes, she felt satisfied and handed the water bottle back to Rick. He put it in its original place when the walkie-talkie gave off a series of static sounds before a voice came through.

"Rick," came Daryl's southern voice. Rick closed his eyes in relief before replying.

"Daryl, where the hell have you been?" he said, a hint of anger in his tone.

"Ran into this sonofa bitch. Got him tied in th' back of a truck. Dude calls himself Jesus."

"We're on the main road, bout eleven miles from Alexandria," Rick informed him.

"Be there soon," Daryl said. Then there was quiet. Ana assumed Rick would continue walking, but when he didn't she sat down on the edge of the road and listened for walkers or the sound of a truck. The ground was hot, so she scooted until her butt rested in the cooler grass. She crossed her legs, placing her dainty hands in her lap. Rick glanced down at her, observing the way she sat with her shoulders hunched forward, her feet neatly tucked under each knee. He noticed the few scars she bore on the meaty part of her calf, and felt like asking where they came from. Her black hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, although a few strands hung down past her ears. She used her fingers to place them behind her ears again. She knew that Rick was watching her and forbid herself from looking back at him. Instead, she focused her attention down. Her eyes found a few ants crawling along the road, along with a couple of pill bugs. She reached her hand out, allowing the pill bug to crawl onto her fingers, then onto her hand. Occasionally it ventured up her arm, yet always returned to her palm. Rick decided to sit down next to her, stretching his legs out in front of him as he took a sip of water.

"You play with bugs often?" he joked. Ana turned her head towards him to show that she was smiling at his small joke, but didn't speak.

"When I was a kid," Rick started, "I used to trap spiders in small jars with my father. We would find them on the walls or on the ceilings in the house. Used to pretend they were in spider jail for trespassing. I let them go eventually. My father told me if I kept them in the jars long enough they would die. I took them outback by the trees and released them."

"Did any of them die?" she asked quietly.

Rick laughed. "Yeah," he said, nodding. "One of them died. I was devastated that I killed another creature. He suffocated in front of me, I thought he was just dancing. My father said he couldn't feel pain like we did."

"Lying is good, sometimes."

"I suppose so. Who would've thought that the kid who cried over killing a spider would wind up being me? I've killed so many people I've lost count," he said in disbelief.

"We do what we need to survive."

"Guess you're right."

Ana continued playing with the bug as Rick watched. She wasn't sure whether she should say something to him. He told her a piece of his story, should she open up to him? She didn't get the chance to before a truck sounded in the distance. Ana scraped the bug off her hand into the grass and stood up alongside Rick. He was staring intently into the distance, watching as a white truck neared them. When it pulled in front of them, Daryl stepped out of the driver's seat. Rick slid in as Daryl opened the back door of the truck. Ana figured she would take the passenger seat. Through the window, she saw a second man sitting in the back seat. His hands were tied, his head facing down. He seemed to be sleeping or knocked out. Despite the uneasy feeling this gave Ana, she walked in front of the car, around the side and sat next to Rick. She placed the duffel bag onto her legs. Her eyes drifted back towards the prisoner in the car. He had long brown hair that chiseled out his handsome face. He wore a beanie to cover the top of his head, as well as a nice leather jacket. As soon as the group was settled amongst the new guy, Daryl launched into a story of how the joker that called himself Jesus stole a truck of supplies, launching into motion a cat and mouse game that had one ending - Jesus getting knocked out by said truck rolling as it rolled down a hill and submerged itself in a lake.

"Sounds like he took a pretty hard hit," Rick said, "Denise needs to look him over."

Ana liked Denise. She was kind and understanding. She took an instant liking to Ana, and whenever Ana came in for an injury, Denise would teach her how to treat it. Daryl muttered a small "yeah" in response, and then looked towards the scenery outside his window. Ana did the same, watching as tree branches covered the setting sun for a quick second before it emerged again.

"You wouldn't have left him," Rick continued, although it seemed clear that Daryl did not want to speak about the matter.

"I woulda," Daryl defended himself, "sonofa bitch was more trouble than what he's worth."

"So why did you save him?" Ana asked quietly.

"Figured he got a camp somewhere. Better we know who's near us," Daryl answered.

Ana remained quiet for the rest of the drive home. It took half an hour, although by the time they arrived at Alexandria's gates, the sun was down. They pulled in the gate, and Daryl and Rick began to carry Jesus towards Denise's house. Ana offered help, but was met with silence as they hauled the man away. So, she hiked the bag further onto her shoulder and headed for home to take inventory of her new supplies.

The neighborhood was quiet, a lot of people were in their homes sleeping or reading. She noticed Carl and Michonne outside of Rick's house, having a heart to heart. She ignored them, and opened her unlocked front door. She kicked off her shoes by the door and hurried to the couch. The duffel bag begged to be opened as she placed it on the coffee table, ripping open the zippers. Clothes, band aids, gauze, and a few cans of food spilled from the bag. Ana smiled, reaching for the clothes and neatly folding them. She placed them on the couch beside herself, reaching further into the pack. Her hands ran across a few pocket knives, a handgun, as well as a wallet. Her hand froze on the wallet. Carefully, she picked it from the bag and opened it, inhaling the scent. Tears came to her eyes as she stared at the picture that gently floated from the wallet onto the floor. She reached for it, bringing it to her eyes as she examined the picture of her, her husband, and her two-year old daughter. They were standing on a baseball field, Lucille was wearing a pitcher's helmet and holding a bat they borrowed from Lucille's school. She traced her child's face with her fingers. Her heart felt heavy, yearning to hold her daughter in her arms again. Yearning to hear her cry or yell or laugh again. Ana didn't finish unpacking all of the clothes and items in the pack before she rolled onto the couch, her face buried into the cushions as she silently sobbed.

"Lucille," she moaned quietly.

 _i guess this could be considered an AU since Negan's wife isn't Lucille...not sure. anyway i already wrote up to chapter 8 and ill be releasing them every so often because by the time i upload the chapter when get to Negan, i wont be able to update until the next season starts...or maybe i'll trail into my own story void of the tv show's plot line. welcome new followers and i hope you all enjoy the chapter!_

 _reviews and critiques always welcomed; the fuel me to write more_


	5. Chapter 5

5.

Ana woke in the middle of the night, her head turned slightly towards the coffee table. Her eyes felt swollen from crying, but she heard a baby crying outside. Half-asleep she walked towards the front door, reminding herself to lock it next time she left. She flung it open a bit too hard, and for a moment the baby's cry became louder. Ana peered down the street, seeing no one for a minute. The crying was coming from the far left, so Ana trudged down the steps. She wasn't sure why she was worried about the baby, but something about earlier that night hurt her heart. So, despite her aching head and ruddy face, she searched for the baby.

She found it sitting in Rick's arms. He was sitting a few yards to the left of Ana, holding Judith in his arms and rocking her back and forth. Ana assumed she started crying and he didn't want to wake anyone. Seeing the baby was safe, she turned to go back inside when she heard Rick's whisper. Ana wiped at her eyes, half embarrassed that Rick would see how hard she had been crying. It was night, and Ana deduced he wouldn't be able to see her face that well.

She advanced towards him willingly, taking a seat on the pavement next to him.

"She's a beautiful baby," Ana commented. Rick smiled and held the baby out to Ana. Ana took it, holding it face up and rocking it back and forth. Her cries quieted when Ana began making silly faces at it. When she turned back towards Rick, he caught her eye and held it.

"You're good with kids."

Ana nodded.

"Did you have your own?"

Ana kept eye contact, biting the inside of her cheek as she forced out a small no.

"I can see why," Rick gestured towards Judith.

"They're troublesome," Ana said with a sad smile, remembering Lucille's smile. She figured if she mentioned Lucille she would start crying again, which was the last thing she needed. After Judith settled down, Ana turned towards Rick, ready to hand him the small baby. Rick understood the movement, and reached for Judith, leaning in close to make sure the baby didn't fall. His cheek brushed Ana's for a split second, his hands covering hers as he obtained a grip on the child. Ana didn't repel the touch, instead embracing it due to her need for comfort. She stared at Rick for a few moments while he settled Judith into his lap.

"Goodnight, Rick," she said, standing up before she said or did something she regretted. She quickly strode from the street to her house without waiting for a reply, scolding herself as she realized that she was becoming comfortable around him.

Rick was the first person at Ana's house that morning. She was still on the couch. The picture of her husband and Lucille was on the coffee table next to the duffel bag. She stood up after wiping the snot that was dried above her lip. Altogether, she wasn't a pretty sight.

She opened the door, surprising Rick by being in the same clothes as last night. He could tell her eyes were puffed from crying. Her nose was bright pink like her cheeks.

"We're leaving," he said instantly.

Ana raised an eyebrow. "Leaving?" she asked. "Where are we going?"

"A place called the Hilltop. I'll explain on the way. Get your shoes."

Ana followed his directions, sliding her feet into her shoes and then closing the door behind her. Though curious as to why he decided to take her along, she remained quiet while following him to the RV. She noticed Abraham already climbing in alongside Maggie, Glenn, and Michonne. Rick had separated from her to talk to Carl, so Ana helped herself on. Jesus was the first face that greeted her. She hadn't noticed him get on and figured he must've been the first to get on. It seemed as if the entire couch was occupied by Maggie, Glenn and Abraham, and the passenger seat was taken by Michonne. After a serious debate with herself, Ana retreated to the back of the camper, where she found a small bed. She sat on it and leaned against the wall.

Rick entered the vehicle, followed by Daryl. He sat in the driver's seat and got the vehicle going. There was a small window next to the bed that Ana looked out. She waved goodbye to the crew outside with a small hand before resting her eyes. They felt heavy from the night before. She knew they were puffed and agitated, and didn't want anyone to ask questions. However, it wasn't an hour later before she heard someone walking down the RV hallway to the bed. She opened her eyes and looked at Rick. She poked her head around the wall in front of the bed and saw that Daryl had taken the wheel.

"May I?" Rick asked. Ana moved her legs off the bed and allowed Rick to sit next to her.

"There's another group stationed at a place called the Hilltop," Rick informed Ana. "Jesus told us he'd take us there to meet his people. Said that there's other groups in the area he trades with. We meet with them, we could have our own economy growing and a way to feed the people at Alexandria."

"What if he's lying?" Ana asked.

"Guess we'll find out one way or another."

Both of them decided not to say another word. It seemed to be their thing, to sit in comfortable silence around each other. Ana assumed Rick would get up and leave to go sit and talk with the rest of the group. She knew that he most likely wanted to talk to Michonne, his current lover. But Rick surprised her. The only time he moved from his position was to lean against the wall, and turn his head to peek at her. She had brought her legs onto the bed, once again sat with them crossed. She dared look up at Rick, who had his head slightly turned towards her, his eyes closed. His expression was almost pained and uneasy. She zoned out, staring at his sculpted jaw when he opened his eyes again.

"What happened last night?" he asked after a while, clearing his throat.

"What do you mean?" Ana wasn't ready to talk to anyone about her daughter, about her husband. She preferred to keep it to herself.

"You were crying. Didn't even change into new clothes."

"It's a long story."

Rick sat up. His body moved closer to Ana's in the process, his leg touching the top of her shoe that poked out from under her knee.

"Alright," was Rick's quiet response. He moved his own hands into his lap, his eyes looking towards Ana as she nervously twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers. Her hair- it was a mess. The ponytail was loose and strands hung here and there. She didn't even bother to brush it away from her face anymore. She raised her eyes to meet his, and for a while, she actually looked into them. The terrifying eyes seemed more calm and mellow now. They didn't pierce her own anymore. She spent a long time looking at the design of them, knowing that her own brown eyes must seem boring to him. And so she looked away, afraid to bore him with herself. He wasn't bored, though. He was intrigued by the small black freckles in the midst of a brown desert that occupied her iris. When she looked away, he found himself reaching for her face against his will. His hand met her chin within a heartbeat, bringing her eyes to his again. Ana wanted to lean away from his touch, but she couldn't.

They stayed like that for a while, looking into each other's eyes. Ana's closed after a long time, but opened when she felt movement on the other side of the bed. Rick was sitting, leaning over the edge and looking down the hallway at the rest of the group. Talk was coming from the front of the RV as it's once fast speed slowed to a crawl. Without a word, Rick left Ana's side to discuss what was happening. Ana quickly left the bed to follow him, and was met with curious looks by everyone on the trailer as she did so.

She tensed at the looks, but remained calm. Her eyes traveled out the front with of the RV as she saw a car flipped on its side, blood dripping from every part of it. There were blood streaks in the road, and the entire site was completely disgusting. Her stomach flipped at the site of it.

Everyone hurried out the vehicle as Jesus mentioned the car was from his group. Ana was last.

A walker was pinned underneath the vehicle, another one hung out the window as Jesus ran around the side to see if anyone was still alive. Rick reached for his gun, and raised it to meet Jesus' head.

"This is a trick," Rick said, gesturing with his head towards the crash, "it won't end well for you."

"My people are in trouble," Jesus replied, frantically. "We don't have a lot of fighters."

Ana crossed her arms and turned her head away from the crash. They were near a series of stores and run down buildings.

"I know how it looks, but I'll play it out. Can I borrow a gun?"

Ana returned her attention to Jesus, focusing on his face instead of the crash he stood next to.

"No," Daryl said, "there are tracks right 'ere." His fingers were pointed at the ground a few feet away from the crash. The group turned their attention towards them, and began to follow Daryl's lead.

They ended up at one of the run down buildings. It seemed to be a company building, although deserted now.

"They have to be in there," Jesus told Rick. Ana turned her back to the conversation, ignoring their words. Her eyes landed on a strip mall across the way. A few walkers stood idle in a parking lot. The signs on most of the stores had weathered away or fallen to the ground. It was a depressing sight. When Ana turned back, she witnessed Rick handcuffing Jesus before entering the building with everyone but Maggie. Ana decided to stay with Maggie, instead of joining the rest. She only had her knife and wasn't in the mood for a fight. Maggie had her gun lifted to Jesus' head, intently watching him and listening for Rick's signal to kill him.

They exited the building ten minutes later with four people, one girl and three guys. The third guy seemed pretty badly injured and needed help getting onto the RV. As she had before, Ana walked to the back of the RV and sat down on the bed. She noticed that Rick hadn't come back to join her after ten minutes and decided to stretch out, placing her feet by back wall and ignoring conversation. Perhaps the reason she never knew what was going on was because she was constantly bored of conversation, and didn't listen. She heard something about a baby doctor, and got bored after that, twirling her fingers and thinking intently about her cabin.

Before the cabin, Ana lived in the wilderness for well over a couple months. She survived off squirrels and fish from streams in the woods. Every time she saw a couple of walkers, she made sure to go in the opposite direction. After a month, her gun was out of ammo and she was still lost in the thick forest.

Before she was forced into the words, Ana gave the name home to a two story house situated on a vast amount of land. She lived there amongst another female for a year before the house became home to a herd of walkers. Her friend was eaten alive in front of her eyes, and that was the only thing that allowed Ana to escape.

And before the house, she was caught in a house fire with her kid and her husband. She watched as Lucille burned to death in front of her, but her husband was a different story.

 _Ana was sitting on the couch of their townhouse, clicking through the news as she observed what seemed to be the end of the world. In a few days, she would be completely packed and on her way to a safe-zone with Lucille and her husband, Negan. The current TV program was giving directions for everyone in her immediate area, as well as tips to stay safe. The walking dead, Ana snorted as she felt a large hand clap down on her bare shoulder._

 _"Watching this bullshit again?"_

 _Her eyes trailed up to meet Negan's light brown eyes. He stared down at her with a smirk plastered across his face. Why is he happy? Ana quickly looked back the TV, not providing a response. The hand on her shoulder started to massage it gently. She felt Negan lean down, place his head on her shoulder. His warm breath blew onto her cheek._

 _"C'mon baby, you're tense. Let's go to bed," Negan begged in a light hearted tone. For a second, Ana was surprised Negan was interested in her tonight. She supposed his mistresses were too busy hauling ass out of their own houses. She was his last choice. With disgust, she forced his head off her shoulder by leaning forward. In anger, he stomped towards the front of the couch and blocked her view of the TV._

 _"Now that's rude," he said, "world gone to absolute dog shit, you won't even give me the time of day."_

 _Ana simply reached for the remote and pressed the off button. She sighed and crossed her arms. For three months she noticed the strange, cryptic texts that Negan had been sending other teachers at the school. She wasn't sure how to confront his infidelities, and wasn't exactly sure that she wanted to. Lucille needed her father around, and Ana still felt the same love she had when she first met him._

 _"I'll be upstairs in a minute," Ana replied quietly. She watched as Negan let loose his world famous smile._

 _"That's my girl," he replied, already reaching for the hem of his white shirt. He pulled it over his head, winking at Ana as he passed behind the couch and traveled up the stairs. A second later, she heard more delicate footsteps treading down the stairs. This time, Ana turned around and watched as her little girl held onto the railing in case she fell. Her brown hair trailed down her back, reaching the middle of her pink nightgown. Her eyes were wide, looking at all the boxes that surrounded the front door. When she reached the bottom, she ran to her mother, jumping over the back of the couch and landing on the front cushion._

 _"I told you not to do that Lucille," she said, stroking Lucille's brown hair. The girl smiled before opening her mouth._

 _"I won't get hurt mommy. But I'm hungry." She was soft spoken like her mother, her voice barely recognizing in Ana's ears._

 _"Sweetie it's very late," Ana said. "We'll make food in the morning."_

 _"But mommy," Lucille whined, tugging on her mother's arm._

 _"Fine, what do you want?" Ana inquired. Lucille thought for a moment, the outermost corners of her lips perked up in happiness._

 _"I wantttt…" a small pause and then, "eggs."_

 _"Eggs?"_

 _"Yes mommy. Scrambled eggs!"_

 _"Okay." Ana got up off the couch, stretching her knees as she did so. She walked towards the stove, which was barely working as is. It was an old gas stove that rarely lit when you wanted it to. Before she even turned it on, she furrowed her brow. The kitchen smelled like gas, though after quickly looking around, she saw no source of the smell._

 _"Lucille, we'll make eggs tomorrow," she told her daughter. "I need you to go upstairs quickly and grab daddy, okay?"_

 _Lucille frowned. "I want eggs, mommy."_

 _"Tomorrow," Ana pleaded. "Go get daddy and get him down here."_

 _Lucille huffed and stomped her way towards the stairs. She heard her heavy feet on the steps, but was glad that Lucille was going to grab Negan. Quickly, Ana looked over the kitchen. She assumed a gas pipe had burst, and quickly ran to turn off all of the lights in the house. She stood in the living room, looking up the stairs as her daughter appeared again._

 _"Daddy's coming," Lucille said, still stomping her feet. She came to the bottom of the steps and walked into the kitchen. "Why is it so dark mommy?" Her hand reached for the light switch as Ana noticed where her daughter was going._

 _"Lucille!" she screamed at her daughter, as the girl flipped the light switch on._

 _It happened quickly, the loud explosion, her daughter being thrown across the room into a wall as flames instantly engulfed the kitchen. The second floor seemed to cave in after the explosion, falling down on top of the kitchen. Ana cried, running towards her daughter but finding the flames growing too high to get across. She saw her daughter, unconscious by the back door with fire already burning her legs. She cried out for her daughter, but was met with no response._

 _The fire pushed Ana towards the front door. Tears flew from her eyes as she looked towards the stairs._

 _"Negan!" she screamed. No response. "Negan!"_

 _She yelled a few more times before the smell of smoke made her head dizzy. With no hope, Ana opened the front door to the neighborhood. Outside a couple of walkers had heard the explosion. They were advancing towards Ana's house. She moaned, realizing this is how she would die. She would be one of those things. Their eyes were dead, clouded over. Blood poured from their mouths as she saw some feeding on the street. The news said it wasn't this bad._

 _She sat down in front of her house, debating whether or not to go into the flames, or get eaten alive. The walkers grew closer as her cries grew louder. They were close enough to reach out towards her when a blue Honda came speeding in front of her._

 _"Get in," a girl, about twenty, yelled to her. Ana didn't ask questions, her flight response had kicked in and so she ripped open the car door and jumped into the seat. Before the door closed, the girl sped off. Ana closed the door and buckled herself, still trying to process all that was happening._

 _"Connie," the girl said, reaching a hand across the wheel. Ana couldn't reply. She couldn't even lift a hand to meet Connie's. Her eyes were frozen, staring dead ahead. Her body was paralyzed against the seat as she tried to understand what happened. They couldn't be dead._

A/N: _School started and im so fucking busy so im glad ive written the next 5 chapters already. im still working on Negan and how i portray him...i know hes not ANYwhere near perfect, just bear with me. favorite, follow, and review to show me some love, it's always appreciated!_

 _replies:_

 _Guest: thanks, i'm glad you're enjoying the story_

 _psychobeachgirl88: haha, i really hope she makes everything better as well, especially the group's future vis a vis Negan. thanks for the feedback!_

 _jasper'scowgirl: here's more for you, i hope you like this chapter!_


	6. Chapter 6

6.

The RV stopped once again, although Ana figured it was for a different reason this time. She rose from her small bed with curiosity, and watched as everyone started unloading from the vehicle. Without question, she followed them. Her dirty sneakers were met with the familiar sound of wet mud. It sloshed up to her ankles as she silently cursed and walked out of it, shaking her feet as she made her way to the front of the RV.

"That's us," Jesus said lightly, "that's the hilltop."

Ana looked up a saw a mess of wooden beams standing completely vertical in order to make an uneven wall across a series of small hills. She figured it must be pretty safe, given Jesus's condition, and the fact that there were supposedly a lot of people living there.

Ana followed the group as they walked along a slightly muddy path to the front gates. She stayed near the back of the group, walking in the grass and dragging her shoes across it to get rid of the mud. Abraham was eyeing her curiously. They made eye contact when Ana realized she should explain herself. She walked back onto the dirt road, striding at the same rate he was.

"My shoes are dirty," she said, "I stepped straight into the mud."

"I can see that," the ginger said with a small chuckle. She never talked to Abraham, although they had found each other's eyes from time to time. He seemed nice enough despite his intimidating exterior. She knew he was sleeping with Rosita, and had been for a long time. But, she also knew how he acted around Sasha. She kept this fact to herself.

"Stop right there!"

Ana's eyes were brought towards a large gate made of metal sheets. Two guys stood on either side of it, holding spears in their hands and aiming it towards the group. All at once, the group raised their guns, aiming them at either guy. Michonne started to remove her Katana from its sheath.

"Woah," Jesus turned around, raising his arms in defense.

"You gon' make us?" Daryl questioned. Ana frowned, realizing this was no way to get off to a good start.

"Jesus what the hell is this?" a man with short black hair asked.

"Open the gate, Kal," Jesus demanded, "Freddie's hurt." He paused before turning to the group. "Sorry about these guys, they get antsy standing up there all day doing nothing." It seemed like a friendly insult to Ana, whose frown was lifted when she realized they were most likely out of danger.

"Then give up the weapons. Then we'll open the gate," one of the guys said.

"Why don' you come down 'ere and get 'em?" Daryl questioned. He seemed adamant on pissing the people of the Hilltop off, something that wasn't exactly wise of him to do.

"Gentlemen," someone from the group said. Ana recognized him as one of the people they had rescued from the building, but was unsure of his name. "Look we vouch for these people." He was talking to Kal and the other guy on top of the gate. "Alright they saved us out there! Lower the spears!"

Rick took this opportunity to voice his own opinion. "Look, I'm not taking any chances. Tell your guy Gregory to come out here."

From Ana's position, she wasn't able to hear what Jesus said next. The next thing she saw was the metal sheets opening and giving way to a large house situated on top of a hill. She followed the group as they started forwards, eyeing the inside of the compound. There were small shacks made of wood and metal to the left of her, and trailers to the right. It looked like something from the 1700s.

She noticed a few people walking animals such as cows and pigs with leads to different locations. There was a small chicken coop with a small family of black chickens. A woman in boots was in the coop, throwing food to them. Herbs and crops were growing along the wall, providing yet another food source.

At least they had their own sustenance.

Ana noticed a smelting area with a large anvil in front of an outdoor fireplace, as well as a small shack with a large blade. She assumed it was for cutting wood, and instantly walked over to inspect it. The group continued on as she spent time discovering the different places outside of the big brick house. She hardly noticed the group disappearing inside the building as she bent down besides the chicken coop.

One black chicken ran over to her, eager to see if there was any food.

"Sorry buddy, I don't have any," she whispered lightly, deciding not to stick her fingers through the chicken fence. For a few moments she stayed here, observing life aside from humans until her feet became sore of holding her body up. She strolled around the place, looking down at the dirt path and wondering how they would handle a flood. She made her way to the trailers, observing as one of the woman she saved washed her clothes on a washboard.

"Who are you?" someone asked, stepping in front of her. She looked up to see a man, a heavy-set man with a long beard that reached down past his chest. He wore a gray shirt with a pair of jeans that looked a bit too tight. She forced a smile, extending her hand.

"Ana," she said.

"What are you doing here Ana?" He seemed pretty determined to make her feel uneasy. He wasn't that tall, but towered a few inches above her. A few inches was enough to make her seem as small as the chicken she was just talking to.

"I'm with my group," she slightly turned toward the house, pointing at it with her hand. "They're in there."

The man was about to say something else when the gates suddenly opened. Ana looked with curiosity, seeing three people walk through the gates with solemn faces. A man, with another bushy beard, similar to Jesus' walked in front, his stride calculated and unwavering. Behind him stood a woman, and another man. They continued walking forward as the front doors of the large house opened. Ana's group exited, allowing her to sigh in relief. In front of them was a nicely dressed man with graying hair and a stubborn face, as well as beard. Everyone here seemed to have beards. She was too far to hear their conversation, and was starting in their direction when the man with the bushy beard stepped forward and stabbed the old man in the stomach. He fell to the ground, Ana's group instantly rushing to his side. She stopped in her tracks, bringing her hand to her mouth as she watched Rick attack the stabber.

"Get off of me!" he yelled at Rick, swinging an unsuccessful punch at him. "I have to!" Rick brought his knee into the man's stomach. He fell, and Rick climbed on top of him, continually punching him until the other man from the group tried to tackle Rick.

Ana watched in horror as the scene unfolded. She watched as Daryl broke the arm of the guy choking Abraham on the ground, and watched as the stabber got on top of Rick, holding a shard of something to his throat.

"Stay back!" he yelled as Glenn neared him. Ana's bottom lip quivered, although she realized that Rick knew how to take care of himself.

"Drop it," came Michonne's voice, her hand on her katana. Her face was strong, pestered by the actions of these men.

Suddenly, the man on top of Rick fell over, blood gushing from his neck. Rick had stabbed him with something, piercing his carotid artery instantly. Blood poured down onto Rick's neck until he pushed the man off of him and stood up. He was greeted with faces of disgust and horror. He turned towards everyone, the bottom half of his face covered in another man's blood.

"What?" he asked, irritated.

"You killed him!" the man with the broken arm yelled.

"Well he tried to kill Gregory, then me," Rick said as a woman ran towards him crying. She raised her fist and punched him square in the face. Rick fell to the ground, as Michonne came and took the woman off her feet.

"Don't," she mumbled.

The men previously on the wall had come down with their spears, although Ana hadn't noticed.

"Drop it now!" one man yelled, the spear lifted in front of him. Rick had scrambled to his feet, gun in his hands as he pointed it towards anyone who tried to come near him. Jesus ran from his position at Gregory's side to stand in front of Rick.

"I don't think I will," Rick said.

"Everyone! This is over!" Jesus said. "It's over."

"Ethan was our friend, but let's not pretend he was anything more than a coward who attacked us. He did this…and these people stopped him."

After talking with Jesus, Rick had lowered his gun. Ana stood, her feet firmly mounted in place as she tried to process what just happened.

They left the Hilltop passing around pictures of Maggie's baby. Ana peeked at the picture before promptly returning to her bed in the back of the RV. Before they left, the group got cleaned up from the fight and had a discussion with Jesus. Ana attended the small funeral they held for Ethan, and was left out of the group's discussion with Jesus. She was equally confused and annoyed, since Rick brought her along for absolutely no reason. After trading a few things, they headed home with one of the Hilltop's residents sitting shotgun.

Ana laid on her back, her head facing the ceiling as she took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before her breathing became even and slowed, and her mind drifted to other places. It wasn't until a hand fell onto her thigh that she woke from her dreamland.

Rick was watching her with curious eyes, his hand laying on her thigh as he gently pushed it towards her, allowing him space to sit. Ana opened her eyes, despite trying to tell herself to pretend she was asleep. Rick noticed.

"Sorry for waking you," he said, sitting next to her. His thigh brushed her calf where he sat.

She didn't reply, merely nodded and curled into a small ball, making sure her bare legs were pressed against Rick's jeans. His hand didn't move until Ana's eyes were closed again. She was tired and wanted to go back to her house. She wanted to sleep for an entire year.

A/N: _Apologies for the short, rather insignificant chapter. I really just wanted to get through this episode and you can imagine how boring it was to write what happened in the show on here. Anyway, I'll probably upload another chapter tomorrow since this has little to do with the actual plot. Also! I just finished the chapter where Negan is first introduced. It might take a while to get that chapter up since I want his portrayal and reaction to be as perfect as possible._

 _replies:_

 _Jasper'sCowgirl: thanks, I remember starting the story in January before Negan's whole backstory was released and I didn't want to reframe the whole story based on the mini comic series. As for Rick, I would assume he's starting to like Ana ;) but perhaps his relationship with Michonne will complicate things...as for Negan and Ana, my lips are sealed cause even I'm not sure who is going to reveal what. Thanks for the review!_

 _Guest: thanks for the review, enjoy this chapter!_

 _StTudnoBright: I think Ana will flip shit when she figures out Negan has not one new wife, but five of them. I'm glad you like the story, it means a lot._


	7. Chapter 7

7.

It seemed like hours slipped past Ana as she was enveloped in a dream about Lucille. Her child's arms were playfully pushing on her mother's lower back, leading her towards the ducks that swam freely in a pond.

"Mommy look at the duck!" Lucille yelled. Once Ana's feet were touching the banks of the water, she kindly asked for Lucille to stop pushing. She obliged and stood next to Ana, a huge smile plastered ear to ear. The duck was swimming gently through the water, only stopping once to inspect Ana and Lucille. The little girl started to place her bare feet in the water, gently wading towards the creature.

"Be careful!" Ana called. Lucille didn't respond and continued creeping along towards the duck. Of course the duck swam away, and in anger Lucille ran from the water towards her mom, throwing her arms around her and screaming about how unwanted she was.

Ana was pulled from the memory all too soon as she opened her eyes to an annoyed looking Daryl.

"We're back," he said, reaching down an arm to help her up. Ana grabbed it, slightly surprised that Rick was no longer next to her. The small disappointment didn't last long; Ana was back in Alexandria and safe again. She left the RV with Daryl hopping out beside her, pulling down the shorts that rode up between her legs. Daryl watched with a funny expression as Ana's cheeks became red. She looked at the ground, crossing her arms in mild embarrassment. It seemed as if members of Alexandria had come from their homes to welcome them back. However, they crowded towards the driver's side of the window and paid no attention to Ana or Daryl. They followed the small crowd, listening as Rick spoke from the driver's seat.

"I need everybody in the church in an hour," Rick stated.

"What is it?" Sasha asked.

"We'll talk about it." Rick put the camper in ignition, but before he could drive away, he was interrupted by Carol. Ana watched the interaction but decided to walk away before seeing it through. She happily glided from the RV to her house, throwing open the door and kicking off her shoes. She had one hour to get a shower and clean her sweaty body before going to the church, and she decided to use her time wisely.

After showering for ten minutes, Ana dressed in a small sun dress that had lace sides. Small blue flowers lined the lace as well as the hem. Underneath she wore a tank top so that the lace sides only showed black fabric instead of her skin. She brushed her hair, her teeth and then walked downstairs. Her eyes saw the duffel bag as soon as her foot hit the hardwood floor, beckoning her to come and cry at pictures of her lost family. Instead of walking towards it, she headed for the kitchen to grab a few crackers. She popped them into her mouth and reached for the book lying on the counter next to the sink. Ana flipped to her current page and took the seat at the kitchen table that face away from the duffel bag. Mere moments later, Rick knocked on her door.

Something flickered inside of her when she made out his face through the frosted door window. Was it excitement?

She easily opened the door, saying a quick hello as she allowed him to walk inside. His shirt and face were both sweaty. He joined her inside, his eyes instantly meeting the mess on the coffee table, and then on a gun left carelessly on a kitchen counter.

"Need to take inventory of what you got," was all he said as he walked to the coffee table with a small notepad in his hand. "Five cans of food, couple packs of band aids and gauze, some clothes," Ana listed off the top of her head. Rick insisted on looking for himself and started digging through the bag as Ana watched. He pulled out a long flannel t-shirt, a pair of shorts and a bra. He didn't stop to look at it and placed it on the coffee in a neat pile with the other clothes.

"What were you before all this?" he asked as he got to the pile of picture frames, looking at each one. Ana watched, trying not to cry as pictures of her daughter were placed in front of her.

"I was a freelance photographer," Ana said, hoping her voice wouldn't crack.

"And your family?"

"My husband was a coach at the school. Lucille was…they were all killed during a fire." There it was, the crack in her voice.

Rick turned to her, noticing her eyes starting to turn red. He walked towards her, his brow furrowed. Ana tried to turn her head away. Rick's calloused hand reached up and touched her cheek. His hand was warm against her skin. She leaned into it, oddly comfortable with his gesture.

"You told me you didn't have a kid," Rick said. Ana didn't reply, realizing that she wasn't in the mood to discuss why she lied. Rick noticed this and ignored the white lie.

"A house fire?" Rick asked, using a finger to brush at Ana's tears. She was staring at the ground, trying to ignore the knot rising in her throat. "Negan was upstairs…Lucille was in the kitchen when…" her voice was choked, she had trouble speaking any more words. With her head facing down she couldn't tell how Rick's face had gone from caring, to horrified. He stepped away from her. The lack of warmth was instantly retracted, Ana felt herself wanting it back.

"What?" she asked, using her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Church in fifteen minutes," Rick reminded Ana, and showed himself the way out the door without another word. Ana quietly cried but after a minute, decided she was tired of crying and wiped away the hot tears that stung her cheeks. She felt embarrassed for crying in front of Rick, even more so since he touched her and then flew the scene. She sat on her couch, elbows resting on her knees and head resting in her palms. She stayed in that position for longer than she anticipated, just thinking. Thinking about Lucille's burnt body, imagining her husband waking up in flames. It was almost her fault, allowing Lucille to run towards the light switch. Almost her fault.

At one point, her eyes fell on a gun sitting on the island in the kitchen, the one Rick was eyeing earlier. For some reason, she always forgot to bring it with her. It was a heavy black pistol that fit her palm. Rick gave it to her a week ago, after she proved that she wasn't going to kill anyone. Ana stood up and walked towards it. Her eyelids were once again heavy, her mouth slightly parted because her nose was stuffy. Her brain was a lead ball, filled with the memory of her child and her husband, their deaths.

Her hands felt shaky, but remained steady as she picked up the gun and headed for the front door.

Ana stood just outside Alexandria, with her feet plastered on the road. Her eyes were slow as she glanced from side to side. There was a walker still impaled on the stake, but she figured there was no use shooting it. Instead, she moved off to the right. She wouldn't go too far, only far enough to take out her frustrations on something. She made sure to keep the wall to her back, the sun over her shoulder as she walked away from the compound.

There was a small creek half a mile from the camp. It was a few feet wide and the banks were surrounded by a series of rocks. Ana stopped here, making sure there were no walkers around. She spotted a couple through the trees across the creek and figured she would take care of them if they got too close. For now, she sat down on a sturdy rock and threw her legs off of it, letting them rest an inch above the stream. She looked into the clear water, seeing small minnows and water spiders scrambling about, amazed at how they were still alive. Her eyes fell on the gun once again. It was in her hand, loosely hanging by a few fingers. She lazily twirled it while her mind drifted.

She zoned out staring at a rock before coming to her senses. She shook her head and brought the gun to her face. It's coal exterior was lightened with a few streaks of silver on the grip. She brushed her fingers over it. With ease, she flipped off the safety and dared look down the barrel. Still looking, Ana used one of her hands to pull back the hammer. A fresh bullet was in her sight, waiting for her to pull the trigger.

A slight sigh and Ana lowered the gun, closing her eyes and rubbing her head with a free hand. She was confused in the least, stuck in the middle of not wanting to live, but not wanting to die either. She raised the gun to her temple, pushing against it with force.

It was a coping mechanism, an odd one at that. She threatened herself with the pretense of dying, only to show her how much she wanted to continue opening her eyes. Maybe her inability to pull the trigger was just a survival instinct, but it worked whenever she felt close to running out into a herd of walkers.

Rick finished his sermon in the church, annoyed by Ana's absence. His speech went well; although it warranted a small argument with Morgan, people who attended did show support. He left the church after everyone else, debating how to tell Ana her husband was alive and kicking, as well as killing. He wasn't sure he should tell her, but he figured it was best it come from him. He hoped she would have attended the meeting so that she would understand why they had to do what they had to do, but now he had to seek her out and have a discussion with her.

He checked her house first, finding her door unlocked and the gun once on her kitchen counter gone. Slight worry coursed through his veins when he realized there was no scheduled run for today, and Ana never brought her gun on any trip. So, he left the house and bounded for the gate. The watchman looked dumbfounded when Rick asked if he opened it for anyone lately.

"Did anyone leave through here?" he asked harshly.

The watchman stared for a moment, trying to remember. "Um," he paused. "Yes."

"Who?" Rick said.

"Some woman."

"Black hair?"

"Yes."

"Open it."

The watchman obliged, pulling aside the gate as Rick rushed out. He wasn't sure which way Ana would run, but took his chances running to the right.

The gun was pressed to her temple, but Ana's finger never came close to the trigger. People died here everyday, so if she wasn't living for herself then she shouldn't be living at all. Ana just wanted the pain to go away, but understood that dying meant no more hope, she wouldn't get to see the world taken back by humans. Dying meant that she could no longer enjoy food or books. One of the walkers from across the creek took notice of her presence, and started staggering in her direction. She didn't mind. When the walker got close enough, she would stab it.

Large hands landed on Ana's wrist, forcefully grabbing the gun from her hands and knocking her off of the rock. She stared up at Rick in surprise, wondering how he found her.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Rick asked, shoving the gun into the back of his waistband and grabbing her arm. He hauled her from the dirt, dragging her by the arm back towards Alexandria.

"You could've gotten killed out here," Rick scolded as his speed increased. Ana's legs felt like Jell-o. She wanted to tell him that she wouldn't dare shoot herself, not that close to Alexandria. She merely stared at the ground in embarrassment and tried to keep up.

Rick said no more words until they were at Ana's house and the door was locked behind him. He led her to the couch, his hand still clasped on her arm, and sat her down. He continued standing, pacing with his hand on his forehead.

"You could've drawn walkers for miles! We had enough of a problem when they knocked down our walls!" he yelled quietly. He didn't want the neighbors to hear. Ana looked down at her hands and he immediately regretted his words. They came across as calling Ana stupid for how she was about to off herself.

"I'm sorry," he immediately said, sitting next to Ana. She refused to look up at him. "Hey," Rick said, pivoting his head so that she was forced to look at him. "I'm sorry."

Ana's words were very quiet when she spoke. "I wasn't going to."

Rick leaned back against the couch, his eyes watching as Ana brought her hair to one side of her neck. She twirled it in her hand, her eyes facing down the entire time.

"When I was younger, I jumped in front of traffic, got hit," she said, "I woke up in the hospital and was happy to be alive. I didn't know how much I wanted to live. But now-" her voice got caught in the back of her throat. "Now whenever I feel that way I threaten myself with death. I don't think I want to die, I just feel like I need to. I feel like shit, my family is gone-" She was trailing, talking too much about herself. So, she stopped talking.

Rick parted his lips, ready to tell her about Negan when her head turned towards him. Her eyes looked down at his hands, following his arms slowly until they reached his lips. She wanted comfort, Rick realized. He wasn't sure how to react. Pushing her away and telling her that she needed to think this through could leave her feeling unwanted, but advancing could prove that he was incapable of stopping himself. His thoughts trailed as he stared at her features, remembering seeing Lori for the first time, Jessie for the first time, Michonne for the first time. He remembered how he felt something immediately. He clicked with them, instantly able to start a conversation and figure them out after a few weeks.

Ana was different. She stayed silent, never accepting a penny for her thoughts until someone sat down and truly listened to her. She preferred to be quiet and unnoticed because the attention scared her. Her ability to withstand silence was amazing, especially since her mind was all over the place. Rick knew little to nothing about her, but was intrigued to know as much as possible about this woman. He didn't feel a click with her at first. He didn't feel anything but anger when his eyes first landed upon her soft face. Now, he wanted to make sure she was safe on her own, make sure that she would stay alive through this hell. He still felt anger now, but for a different reason.

She looked serene, her eyes slightly damp, her lips parted, her neck exposed. The same compulsion that drew him to kiss Jessie's cheek the day after meeting her drew him towards Ana. He placed a finger under her chin, lifting it so that his eyes could look into hers. A small smile flashed across his face as he leaned in, connecting his lips to hers.

Ana needed this. She needed the comfort, the warmth his body offered. She moved her lips against his, tasting the sweat on them, and feeling the hunger in him. For a moment, she figured he needed this too.

Rick took control, pushing Ana onto her back, his hands trapping her underneath him. She moved her legs between his as his lips trailed from her lips to her cheek and her neck. She softly moaned, reaching her hands around his neck to pull him in closer.

A grin stretched across Rick's lips as she did so. He felt her hands reach for the buckle on his pants before he stopped.

"Negan's alive." The words were murmured into her neck unintentionally, but she still heard them.

A/N: _For those of you who are curious, Negan will be making his appearance in chapter 11...which should be coming out in the upcoming days. I'm really excited to finally get to the end of season 6 in terms of this story, and thus I'll upload the chapters more often (if I have the time.)_

 _Welcome new followers I hope you enjoy my story. Don't forget to review- I like replying to you guys._

 _Replies:_

 _Karen Wood: aaa I'm really excited for everyone to see Negan as well, hence the reason I'm updating much faster than I have been_

 _I'm a Nerd and Proud: I'm hoping that some of Rick's craziness rubs off on Ana, since I think that would make for some reallllly interesting character development. But don't worry, Negan will be making his appearance soon!_


	8. Chapter 8

7.

Ana brought her hands from Rick's buckle and gave him a swift push off of her. He landed solemnly on the other side of the couch as her wide eyes stared at him. Did she just hear-

"What?" she asked, moving her hair so that it covered both sides of her neck.

"Your husband is alive."

Ana kept her mouth shut, quietly thinking through how her husband could have survived the fire.

"He's alive and leading a group of people called the Saviors. They were the ones who instructed Ethan to stab Gregory at the Hilltop."

Ana's hand slowly covered her mouth. "No," she mumbled into her hand. Negan couldn't be alive. He didn't answer her, he was asleep upstairs when the fire started. Her mind instantly thought up the first rational response it could think of. "It's a different Negan."

"C'mon," Rick sighed in slight annoyance, "how many Negan's are there?"

"He wouldn't kill. He couldn't even be alive."

"World goes to shit, cant predict what people would do."

Her head was throbbing at the possibility of Negan being alive. She needed to get to him, needed to explain everything and throw her arms around him and never let him go. Her mind was racing and her mouth was quivering.

"We're going to one of their bases tonight."

Ana didn't respond.

"We need to attack before they attack us."

"No." Ana didn't bother to look at Rick. "Take me there."

Rick instantly regretted telling her, overlooking the fact that she would want to see him. How could he overlook that? "It's not safe, Ana."

Ana's eyes flickered to him at the mention of her name. She didn't care whether or not he would let her, she would go to Negan on her own. Part of her was still alive –her love was still alive. She stood up suddenly, looking down at Rick and furiously wiping at the tears that somehow appeared on her face. Using her shirt, she dried her wet hands.

"He's my husband," she said, a small crack in her quiet voice. Rick bit his lip, knowing that Negan was a killer and a manipulator.

"He is not your husband anymore," Rick voiced his opinion. Ana wanted to yell at him, punch him or slap him or hurt him for saying that. She restrained herself, rocking on her heels as she tried to think of something to say.

"We're leaving in an hour," Rick said sternly. "You're staying here. I'll have Denise look after you."

Ana felt like a child, but realized there was no use arguing. She missed her husband, and felt a burning desire to disobey Rick's commands. At the same time, she had no way of getting to Negan without Rick taking her himself. When she didn't respond, Rick stood up.

"I understand how you feel," he said. She wanted to fire back, yell that he didn't understand how it felt to think you've lost someone when you never did. To almost kill yourself because of it. His hand reached for her shoulder, but Ana took a sudden step back. She wanted to forget what happened between them. It wasn't right. It didn't feel right. "We can talk when I get back." Rick understood she needed her space, and left to go tell Denise about her new job tonight.

Ana was standing in the same place when Rick returned with Denise.

"I'm leaving," he told Ana. She nodded quietly as Denise took to the couch, exclaiming about how soft it was. When Rick left, Ana quickly let loose a string of words.

"I need to go get the clothes out back, they're on the lines."

"Very funny," Denise said with a chuckle, "I'll get them. You stay here, you look like you've seen a ghost." If only she knew the truth in her words. Denise stood up, walking towards the kitchen and out the back door. Ana took the chance, sliding on her shoes and running out the front door before the cars drove away.

A few people in the group noticed Ana as she casually walked past the cars lined up to leave. Rick was in the middle of talking to Rosita, his back turned towards Ana. She noticed the RV sitting in front of the gate. It seemed empty, so she took the opportunity to climb in and slip to her designated seat -the bed in the back. She curled up against the wall, making sure to remain unnoticed if someone looked down the hall. Then, Rick entered. She cursed silently, telling herself she should have known he'd choose this vehicle. A series of other people joined him, including Jesus, Michonne, Carol, Sasha, and the other guy from the Hilltop. Ana sighed, realizing this was going to be a long ride. However, the end reward would be worth it. As long as Negan was alive, she would be okay.

The ride was long and boring. Ana didn't want to risk being seen so she stayed awake, attentive to every movement, every conversation. For a long time she counted the small dots on the ceiling of the RV, played patty-cake against the wall, and tried to play the rhyming game with herself. It didn't work out well.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the RV came to a stop and everyone rushed out after a series of honks were heard. Ana remained in the RV. She would stay there until they entered the camp, and would follow their path afterwards. Without realizing it, Ana began to drift off into a deep sleep, not waking until the world outside was dark and the RV was in a completely different environment.

A loud alarm was what woke her up. The lights in the RV were dark, it was almost pitch black. Ana quietly rustled herself from the bed and peeked down the hallway. The RV seemed empty, so she brought the knife from her waist and lifted it. She opened the camper door and was surprised to see Maggie and Carol staring at her curiously.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"Were you in there the entire time?" Maggie questioned.

"Yes," Ana said.

"You can explain later, we need to keep quiet," Carol stressed.

"Why?" Ana asked. The two were quick to ignore her presence, and continued a conversation that Ana clearly interrupted.

"They need our help," Maggie said sternly, turning around as a walker approached her. Carol moved past her stabbed it easily enough. It fell to the ground with a satisfying thunk.

"You are staying here," Carol demanded. Nothing could be heard except for the angry breaths of the two women. They were both staring at each other intently while Ana crossed her arms. She was somewhat cold, dying to go back into the RV and curl under someone's jackets. She didn't get the opportunity to, for as she turned to fulfill her wishes, she heard a gun shot. Turning around, Ana saw Maggie standing above a male who was gripping at his shoulder. Her gun was pointed at his head. Ana swerved in a circle, trying to see if anyone else had come in their direction. Her question was answered as a cold voice spoke to Maggie.

"Stop or she's dead."

Whirling around, Ana looked into the barrel of a gun. The arm holding it was a woman, an inch shorter than Ana yet still terrifying. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat as her heart rate sped up astronomically. Maggie raised the gun towards the new woman after turning to see Ana. Suddenly a two more pistols were pointed at Carol, then Maggie.

"Shit," Ana whispered under her breath, realizing that tagging along might have not been the brightest idea.

"Guns, knives, on the ground right now," the woman in front of Ana demanded. She reached for the knife at her waist and tossed it onto the ground obediently, observing the two other women. One was older, shorter, and rounder. Through the darkness, Ana figured she was a good twenty years older than the women standing near Carol.

Following the encounter, Ana was ordered to sit on the ground alongside the other two women until morning came. There were two guns on the three of them the entire time; the older lady was tending to the man who got shot. Carol continually tried to bargain her way out of the situation, while Maggie begged her to give it up. They weren't getting out of this one. Ana focused on the compound through the gate in front of them instead of the gun to her head.

At one point, Ana realized she had the urge to pee. She embarrassingly piped up, quietly asking if she could go into the bushes. She was allowed to, but the older woman watched her the entire time. For the first time, Ana had trouble peeing right away. Having a gun pointed at your head while you do so has that effect.

Eventually, the ginger demanded the group stand up as she raised binoculars towards her eyes to look past the fence. Ana stood next to Carol, her hands tangled together in front of her body. The first light of sun finally showed itself, and with it came loud gunshots.

"The hell was that?" the brunette asked, pointing a gun towards Ana, Carol, and Maggie. Ana narrowed her eyes, trying to look through the gates towards the compound. She saw a commotion in the distance, but wasn't quite sure what was happening.

"It's Primo," the ginger said, "dammit, they've got him. Gimme the walkie."

A small tinge of hope spread through Ana's body. She assumed "they" were Rick and the group he took to the compound. There was a way out.

The sole man in the group produced a walkie-talkie, handing it to the ginger with concerned eyes.

"Babe, what's happenin'?" he asked. The female didn't respond and instantly brought the device to her mouth.

"Lower your guns, prick," she said sternly. Ana watched as the commotion in front of the compound seemingly stopped, "you with the colt python."

The gun confirmed that it was Rick and his crew. Ana sighed lightly, relieved to hear that they made it out alive.

"All of you lower your weapons right now."

A few seconds of silence and then,

"Come on out, let's talk." It was Rick's familiar southern voice, hoping to figure out who was speaking into the walkie, and where they were.

"How many we got?" the old lady asked.

"Eight in sight," replied the ginger, straightening her lips into a thin line as she turned her head very slightly. "Too many," she deduced.

"We can take them, we took more," the man said. The ginger brought her eyes from the binoculars to look at him. She didn't respond as she peered at him, then returned her eyes to the binoculars. She spoke into the walkie once again.

"We're not coming out but we will talk," she said. She placed the binoculars on her chest and turned towards the group of captives. "Names," she demanded. No one spoke for a moment, Ana's own voice was caught in the back of her throat as her eyes faced down. "Names," the ginger demanded, louder this time.

"I'm Maggie, that's Carol and Ana," Maggie said bravely, using her eyes to point out who is who. The ginger smiled and looked back towards the fence.

"We've got a Carol, Maggie and Anna, I'm thinking that's something you want to chat about," she said into the walkie, pronouncing Ana's name wrong. Ana was confused as to whether it was an accident, or some sort of way to assert dominance. "We're gonna work this out right now, and it's going to go our way."

"We have one of yours," came Rick's static voice. "We'll trade."

"I'm listening."

"First I want to talk to Ana and the others, make sure everyone's alright."

Ana's eyes lifted slightly at the mention of her name. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and tried to swallow the lump in her throat so that she would be able to speak. A millisecond later, the walkie was shoved in her face with the ginger demanding them to say they're fine and only that. Carol slightly pushed Ana in an effort to get to the walkie.

"R-Rick, it's Carol. I'm fine b-but-" the ginger shoved her out of the way, holding the walkie towards Ana's face.

"Speak," the girl said angrily, yet Ana's voice was hiding down her throat. She opened her lips and forced out a very small, "I'm okay," before the walkie was shoved towards Maggie, and subsequently taken away from them. Ana rubbed her arms against her sides, her eyes slightly heavy as she wondered how they would fix this. She listened as a couple walkers came up behind the group, and turned around to watch the brunette stab them.

"This is the deal, right here," she heard Rick say, "let 'em go. You can have your guy back, and live." Ana listened as they continued debating whether or not to save their guy. She caught the ginger's name out of the conversation, Paula. Three of the four captors started to argue with each other before Rick's voice came back.

"Do we have a deal?" Rick asked.

"I'll get back to you," Paula said before nodding towards the brunette. She came up behind Maggie, lifting her jacket over her face quickly. The same went for Carol, but Ana had no jacket to cover her head. She was wearing her dress from earlier, and hadn't realized just how cold she felt until she stared at their warm jackets.

"What do we do about her?" the brunette asked. Paula shrugged, walking towards Ana with her gun out. Ana sucked in her breath as she saw the butt of a handgun crack down on her head. She fell without a sound.

A/N: _Christ, I'm so sorry about uploading this late. The past few weeks have been hell in terms of schoolwork; 6 hours every night -and no, that is not an exaggeration- takes a toll and I kept pushing this off until now...despite the fact I have the most homework I've had for the past week._

 _Anyway...to answer some questions you might be wondering: no, the next chapter won't be filled with all those conversations between Maggie and Carol at the base. It'll actually focus on Ana and her alienation from the rest of her group...sorry to say her experience won't be ideal. Anyway...I can't believe I have almost 60 followers so thank you ALL so much for following and ready my story! Don't forget to review and gimme some love!_

 _Replies:_

 _I'm a Nerd and Proud: Season 1 Rick was the besstttt! I loved his attitude and all his mannerisms...man I miss that Rick. And yeah, I felt like the show started going downhill around season four and five, but the second half of season six was awesome. I'll try to update more often so you can see Negan sooner :)_

 _x3sunnydaay: haha, I'm sorry if you consider this a cliff hanger too. I feel like cliff hangers always intrigue more people to stick around for the next chapter_

 _Guest: Aaa...the hard thing is perfecting Negan's persona because I have to get it just right! I hope my portrayal lives up to your expectations :)_

 _StTudnoBright: Actually, Negan's POV would be an awesome way to write a chapter, especially one about his relationship vis a vis Ana. As for how they met? You'll just have to wait...:) More family flashblacks will follow!_

 _Thanks for all the reviews, they make me smile every time I read them!_


	9. Chapter 9

9.

 _Twenty-two years ago_

 _"Do not use that tone with me!" a hard ruler came down on Ana's wrist, slapping against her bare skin with a satisfying crack. She whimpered slightly, by now used to the pain the wood inflicted. The nun stood in front of her, the venomous look of contempt sprawled across her wrinkled face._

 _Ana parted her lips, about to inform the nun that the rumors spread about her nonexistent dissertation regarding the nun, was false. "I didn't say any of those things!" she said, her eyebrows pulling up. The nun scoffed._

 _"What did I tell you about lying?" Another slap on the wrist followed. The young girl was about to retaliate, threaten to tell her father, but realized that being quiet meant less pain. So, she closed her lips and accepted her punishment for something she hadn't done._

Ana woke with a searing pain in her head. She was positioned in an old wooden chair with her head lolled to the side, a jacket covered her once bare arms, and the brunette was sitting in front of her with a gun on her lap. She was in a darkened room, the walls were grimy and she noticed tiles glued to the wall as well as various appliances to the side. Pipes and hoses hung from the dirty ceiling.

"Finally," she heard the brunette whisper. Ana's head was throbbing, making it hard to hear exactly what the other girl was saying. She wanted to go back to sleep, but as her eyes closed she felt a slap on her cheek.

"Don't go back asleep, it's time to talk."

She tried to wave her arm to shoo away the hand, but realized rather quick that her wrists were restrained by strong tape. The weight of her arm trying to swing forward knocked her over. Before she knew it, her body fell from the narrow chair and her shoulder collided with the ground. She gasped in pain before the brunette gripped her arm and hauled her back onto the chair.

"Now you have a nice dress on, your friend has time to make a baby. You're holed up somewhere good." Ana grimaced as she tried to roll her shoulder, checking how injured it was. It felt out of place.

"Where is it?" the brunette asked. Ana knew better than to reply. She was sure anyone in the group knew that. However, she was somewhat worried about what would happen to Carol or Maggie if she didn't reply. She wanted to know if they were safe and why they weren't in the room with her. Perhaps they were somewhere else in the building, hopefully alive.

The brunette gestured towards her gun. "Make this quick," she said, flashing her eyes up to say she was getting tired of waiting. When Ana still didn't respond, the brunette stood up and squatted in front of Ana, bending down to level her head with Ana's.

"Where's Negan?" Ana asked quickly.

"Not here, sweetie," the brunette answered. "Though you'll meet him real soon if you tell me where your camp is."

Ana quieted, thinking over her choices.

"This is how it goes," she said in a whisper, "you and your friends stay alive if you tell me where your camp is." She brought the gun to Ana's face, tracing her jawline with it. "You guys aren't the good guys." Ana bit her cheek before bringing her head back and forward quickly, hitting her own forehead against the brunette's. Searing pain instantly overwhelmed her senses.

The brunette stumbled back a bit before tripping over her own chair, falling to the ground with a loud bang. The gun slid from her hands, falling a few feet away. Ana stood up from the chair, realizing that her feet were also tied together. Her head begged her to sit back down as white dots invaded her eyesight. She hopped towards the brunette and easily jumped onto her chest, hearing the brunette's ribs crack and break, piercing her lungs. Ana stopped jumping as the door in the building opened. Carol looked through it, Maggie behind her. For the first time in a long time, a genuine smile crossed the girl's face.

"Thank God," Carol whispered as Maggie walked to her and helped unwrap the duct tape. Once free, Ana grabbed the gun, handing it to Maggie because she knew Maggie had better aim.

"Thanks," Maggie whispered, and followed Carol out the door. Ana took the rear, closing the door behind her quietly and hoping the brunette had enough blood in her lungs and throat to keep her from warning the rest of her group.

The rest of the building was grimy and dirty as well, and most of the time Ana listened as Carol and Maggie debated whether or not to kill the two other people in the building. Ana was about to tell them there were three when they came into another room that resembled a wash room or a bathroom. The body of a large man was strewn across the floor, his body unmoving. So there were two, not three. Maggie strode over to the lifeless corpse as Ana wondered what happened in here. Maggie removed a steel pipe and the rope that helped make a tourniquet for his arm. She held both items in her hands, about to stab the future waler with the steel when Carol interrupted.

"We should just leave it."

Maggie sighed and didn't respond. Ana looked on as she tied a rope around the man's waist, noticing a gun peeking from one of his pockets. The girl reached her small hand towards it and picked it up.

"Someone's gonna come through here," Maggie said as she started to drag the body towards one of the doors, eyeing Ana as she pocketed the gun. Carol proceeded to help, tying the rope against a pipe and allowed the body to lay there. "Come on," Maggie whispered, walking out the door and hiding behind a corner. Sure enough, the short gray haired woman walked through the door. Ana heard a yell and some growls, and assumed that the man had indeed turned. After the growls silenced, Maggie charged into the room, using the butt of the gun to smash the woman's head in. Ana watched in horror as she continued to do so, remembering how the brunette said they were not the good guys. Perhaps they weren't, their actions would surely defend the brunette's point. Her eyes fell on Carol, who harbored terrified expression. When Maggie was finally finished, she grabbed a knife off the body and lazily tossed it towards Carol.

"Go," she ordered.

The three of them rounded almost every corner, avoiding the hallways with an excess amount of walkers. Eventually they wound up going in a circle, coming back to the end of a hallway filled with walkers that were embedded in pipes or had their legs smashed.

"They're using them to keep us in, keep the others out," Carol said, observing them with her knife at the ready. Ana stood at the back of the group, her eyes glancing behind them every so often. She had the steel pipe in her hand, although her dominant arm was practically useless. It was throbbing, as was her head. Her body was tired and aching; she wanted to lay down and sleep for a few months.

"Come on," Maggie said, "We have to find them." As a walker advanced towards her, she stabbed it in the head with a knife she found off of the man's body. The head gave in with a squelsh before falling. Ana took a step forward, ready to fight the walkers when a burning pain registered in her lower calf. She felt it before she heard the gunshot. Her face contorted in confusion as she watched her head get closer to the ground, mumbling something as time seemed to stop. More gunshots followed, but her body was already covered by Carol and Maggie, who were quick to come to her aid.

"Are you shot?" Maggie asked, looking over Ana's fucked up body. Her eyes rested on the amount of blood coming from her lower leg as she cursed.

"I think," Ana said, trying to sit up. The adrenaline in her veins made it hard to recognize where the pain was coming from. By now, Carol had raised Maggie's gun in the direction of the shooter, Paula.

"Just run," Carol said. Maggie shrugged off the jacket she was wearing, grabbing the steel pipe that fell from Ana's hands as she fell. She began to make a tourniquet just below Ana's knee.

"Shoot her," Maggie demanded.

"Go on, do it," Paula taunted, "you've killed Donnie, you've killed Molly, your people have destroyed my home." Ana's leg became numb as she tried to reach for something to throw in Paula's direction. She was angry at the woman, almost unnaturally angry.

"Carol," Maggie said as Carol told Paula to get out, and save herself.

"You have no idea the things I've done, what I've given up, what I had to do…" a gunshot rang. Paula's body fell to the ground as Carol turned to face Maggie. Her eyes lowered down towards Ana, seeing Donnie's gun in Ana's fingers. She was tired of the yelling, and wanted peace and quiet

A walker seemed to break free from the pipe and Maggie stabbed it before it had a chance to do anything. Maggie looked down at Ana, noticing her eyes floating closed.

"Ana, come on, stay with me." She heaved Ana up onto her arm, slinging her shoulder around her neck. Ana watched as Carol reached for the walkie off of Paula's body, mumbling something into it. For the next hour, Ana's vision went in and out. She remembered a series of screams and yells, but couldn't pinpoint the source. She remembered Carol looking down at Ana's bare leg, quickly speaking, although Ana didn't remember what she was saying. All she could hear was the sound of her heart beating incessantly through her eardrums, curious as to whether anyone else could hear it. She remembered one more gunshot and then hands on her face, stroking it endearingly then suddenly the hands were on her back and under her knees, carrying her. There were hands holding her leg straight up in the air and talks of keeping it elevated or else she'll bleed out.

Ana finally opened her eyes twenty hours later, around ten in the morning. Her leg was numb, and any movement of her eyes hurt her head. As for her shoulder, she was able to move it without a problem. It took a moment for Ana to realize that she was in someone else's bed. The bed was smaller, more like a twin bed. The room she was in was surrounded by several windows, which were covered with curtains, giving the space a dim look.

Ana coughed for a few moments before trying to sit up. For a moment, her head begged her to sit down, but she ignored the feeling. She threw the covers from her body, noticing a large bandage placed across the back of her calf. She was dressed in a small t-shirt and shorts to provide access to her wounds. There were a pair of crutches next to the bed. She grabbed them and used them to stand up before placing them under her armpits and striding through the bedroom to the door. Once reaching the door, Ana realized how tired she was. She quickly debated laying back down, or continuing onward to get some water. She decided to open the door.

After opening up the door, she realized she was on the first floor of someone's house. The front door was a couple yards ahead of her, outside she saw a few people pass by. To her left, she saw the back of someone's head as they stared intently at a plate on the counter.

"Denise," Ana mumbled lightly. The buoyant girl slowly turned around with a smile on her face.

"Ana," she said, her voice contradicting her smile, "I'm really glad you're awake. You need to get back in bed, you suffered major injuries."

"I probably should," Ana ventured.

"So, let's get you back in bed." Denise paused for a second, "and just so you know, I'm mad at you for disobeying Rick and tricking me."

Ana looked down, nodding in agreement. "I'm a bit pissed about that as well."

She heard Denise chuckle, and decided it was okay to look up again. Denise was on her way towards Ana, a plate of what seemed to be chicken in her hands.

"Rick's even more pissed. You should have seen him after I told him you were stable." Denise ventured around Ana, towards the room Ana was in when she woke up. Ana followed her, deciding she was hungry, as well as curious as to what Denise meant by Rick being pissed. Her crutches clacked loudly on the hardwood floor as she tried to get a hang of them. She was relieved when she made it to the bed in once piece, awkwardly tossing the crutches on the floor and reaching for the plate Denise left on the end table. She swung her swore leg onto the bed as Denise took a seat on the edge of it.

"You lost a lot of blood," she said. Ana wasn't surprised. Her head was still hurting and her entire body felt exhausted. "You probably have a major concussion, and your shoulder was dislocated. Not to mention you were shot."

"Really? That was the pain in my calf, huh?" Ana said sarcastically.

Denise continued, pretending not to notice Ana's humor. "Until it heals and I can take the stitches out you need to use these crutches. If the skin continually stretches as it does when you're walking, the stitches will fall out. Not to mention you'd be in a hell of a lot of pain." Ana gingerly pulled at the cooked chicken with her fingers, shoving pieces into her mouth and savoring the taste.

"I better go tell everyone you're awake. Maggie and Carol were extremely worried." Denise stood up, telling Ana to stay in the bed and that she would be back soon. Ana obeyed, carefully finished her chicken and wiping her hands on the shirt she was wearing. Only then did she realize she was wearing a new shirt, a clean shirt. Someone had changed her clothes for her. Hopefully it was Denise.

Ana brushed her fingers through her hair, combing through a series of knots and hoping that her face wasn't as dirty as her hand was when it came away from her hair. She sighed lightly, remembering the events from the day before. Angry as she was for her own actions, Ana would do it over again. She knew her husband was head of the saviors, and knew that if he was as big as a threat as he seemed, Ana would see him. Hug him. Kiss him. She smiled at the deranged thought, brushing her hair behind her ears and rolling over on her side to imagine what it would be like to feel him again.

The door burst open. Ana rolled to the other side in a tired manor, seeing a very worried looking Maggie. Her brow was tightened as she observed Ana's condition.

"Are you okay?" Maggie said, kneeling in front of Ana's face. Ana let out a small yes as Carol appeared in the doorway as well, a container of cookies in her hand.

"We figured you'd be asleep for at least a day longer," Maggie explained, standing up again. Carol placed the cookies on the end table and pulled her lips into a thin line.

"I'm so sorry," she said.

"No need to," Ana responded, "you couldn't have anticipated it would happen." Carol nodded, pursing her lips as another voice boomed through the room.

"The hell were you thinking?"

Maggie and Carol parted as a very irritated Rick came close to Ana's side. He was unlawfully mad, with his mouth frowned and his forehead wrinkled as he scowled at Ana. Maggie and Carol quickly left, deciding it was time for Rick to scold her alone.

"I left you with Denise for a reason," Rick said, staring straight at Ana.

"I wanted to see Negan," Ana whimpered, guilt coursing through her veins.

"Y-You thought this was a good idea because you wanted to see your murdering husband?" Rick squinted, raising his voice as he cocked his head. She looked away quickly, already feeling her cheeks become warm. "Your husband who would probably kill all of us along with you?"

"Stop," Ana said quietly.

"I left you here to keep you safe," Rick said with venom in his tone, "your little stunt almost got Carol and Maggie killed, as well as yourself." Rick said nothing else, and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Ana slipped under the covers, pulling them up to her chin and closing her eyes, rationalizing her decision as a way to assure herself that her efforts weren't in vain. Eventually, she decided to sleep.

A/N: _Oh my God! First off, I can't believe I've gotten almost twenty more followers since posting the last chapter! That's amazing, I never thought this story would be that great. And second...how about that first episode? Jesus, I started crying. It was practically an emotional rollercoaster and I don't think it's going to let up in the next few episodes since everyone has to deal with that major loss. Damn. And third, I apologize for any spelling errors I tried to edit this, but I might've missed a few._

 _Just a side note, I'm expecting that after Ana meets Negan the story will focus much more on her than Rick's group's activities._

 _Replies:_

 _Jasper'sCowgirl: Hmm...you'll have to wait and find out. I can't say too much about it, except that the group will definitely be surprised when they find out about Negan and Ana._

 _I'm a Nerd and Proud: I feel like even after last Sunday, I'm still compelled to love Negan! He's such a ruthless and round character that it's hard not to._

 _x3sunnydaay: Thankfully the shit with school turned out fine :). Sadly, my school life goes through lulls with no homework to days where I'm forced to pull all nighters. Aside from that, the moment when Ana and Negan meet is coming up soon! I'm excited to see your reaction along with everyone else's._

 _wastedyouth: Thank you, i really appreciate your comment because it makes my effort towards the story feel worthwhile! :)_

 _StTudnoBright: Man, what did you think of that premiere? It was absolutely crazy. With regards to Ana, I'm still questioning whether or not Negan should tell her...or if she should find out accidentally. Accidentally seems much more dramatic :)_

 _tripmisses: Here's the next chapter for ya! I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reviewing_

 _msgemgem: Jesus I think this is the longest review I've ever gotten and I'm really thankful you put the time in to write it for me! I've realized now (after writing 11 chapters ugh..) that my writing has been more objective than subjective which doesn't really give the readers a glance into Ana's mind, so she seems flat; I totally agree with you on that aspect! I'm hoping with future chapters she's able to show her true colors, and become a more round character. In regards to her being quiet and not integrated, it's because most of my prior characters have been impulsive and brave. I wanted to create a socially awkward, submissive girl who latches on to certain people...which she will learn does NOT work in a world where everyone is dying. As to her flip-floppy attitude, I honestly slapped myself in the face when reading that. You're totally right! Her actions aren't consistent- maybe I'm pulling too much from my prior characters in giving her that impulsive streak. I'll definitely work on that. Negan will be introduced, and the love triangle will be kicked into motion, although it might be hard for Rick to make moves towards Ana given Negan's threats. Plus, Ana's relationship with Negan is slightly deranged, like that of an abusive one. She knows she should hate him, but can't. Hopefully with more flashbacks I'll be able to show where her submissiveness and quiet, socially awkward nature comes from. Again, I really appreciate this review because it'll help me in the future when deciding whether Ana's actions fit her personality, or if they're totally random._


	10. Chapter 10

10.

 _"Flirting with my wife again you bastard?" Negan laughed, walking towards Ana slipping an arm around her waist as she discussed summer homework with Lucille's homeroom teacher, Mr. Coulson. They were standing in the cafeteria during Adult's Night -a night designed for adults to get to know their children's teachers. Ana smiled and looked up at him. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek and turned his attention to Mr. Coulson. He was tall, lanky, and a year or so younger than Ana. His eyes were a deep blue, his lips thin and always turned up at the corners._

 _"How's the little shit doing?" Negan asked._

 _"Lucille is progressing well," Mr. Coulson said, quickly glancing throughout the cafeteria to make sure there were no kids in sight. What few parents brought their kids with them had left by now. "Your wife and I were just discussing the effect of summer homework on kids during a period of supposed relaxation."_

 _"Well fuck, I never knew you were so boring," Negan directed his words towards Ana. Her back stiffened against his arm, only relaxing when he began to rub her side with his fingers. "I'm kidding, baby."_

 _Mr. Coulson shifted uncomfortably, clearing his throat audibly and parting his lips to speak, "I need to go speak with the other parents."_

 _Ana nodded and quickly said goodbye. Following his leave, she turned her body to face Negan's. Her eyes raised until they made contact with his. "We should go home," she suggested, "It's almost eight, and I don't know how much I trust the nanny." Her voice wavered slightly. She had hired a new nanny after finding out about Negan's dabbling with the old one from Lucille._

 _"Why is daddy always touching Ms. Lawford?" Lucille asked Ana one night as she was tucking her daughter into bed. Ana paused in the middle of pulling the covers over her daughter's body. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to keep from showing her pain at the question. Eventually, she realized this situation was toxic for her daughter and fired the nanny, hiring one that was in her late sixties instead._

 _Negan sighed heavily and shrugged. "Christ, Ana, I'm pretty positive she's fine."_

 _Ana wrapped her arm around his waist and tugged on his body. "Please?" she asked._

 _"Fine, baby."_

A soft prodding in Ana's rib cage brought her from her uneasy dreams. She curled into a ball and shooed away the perpetrator with a tired arm. However, the prodding soon turned into tapping on her shoulder. Eventually, Ana gave in and softly groaned. When she looked up at a solemn looking Maggie, she drew her lips into a thin line and sat up quickly, maintaining a gentle posterior. The room was dark, as if it were late at night or early morning.

"Hey," Maggie said lightly. Ana offered the smallest version of a smile in Maggie's direction. Maggie didn't return the smile. There was a frown playing across her lips, her eyes looked slightly red. Ana shifted her position, noticing a sting in her lower calf that made her whimper slightly. Nonetheless, she propped herself up on the bed until she was sitting. Maggie didn't part her lips for a while, and Ana wasn't sure whether she should initiate the conversation or not. Strictly speaking, before the prior occurrence, Ana had not talked with Maggie. They occasionally shot each other looks and smiles, but a conversation was practically unheard of. So, naturally, Ana tried to tread lightly.

"What's wrong?" she asked, trying to fake some sort of empathy. Obviously without knowing the reason for her discomfort or emotional turmoil, Ana was unable to gauge what emotion as most appropriate.

"I have to give you your medicine, doctor's orders."

Ana furrowed her brow, confused as to why Denise wouldn't do this herself. She rationalized that Denise must be sleeping, and obeyed Maggie's orders. Following this, Maggie peeled the bandage off of Ana's calf, shrinking in disgust at the sight.

Curiously, Ana peered at it herself, noting the yellow pus that leaked from the stitches.

"Shit," Maggie muttered, "I'll be back. You get some sleep, alright?"

Ana nodded as Maggie adjusted the bandage, almost glad that she was ordered to sleep.

 _"Daddy, your daughter wants to play hide and seek," Ana called to her husband, who was actively observing the news anchor on the television screen. When he didn't respond, Ana raised from her chair in the kitchen and sighed, staring at the beautiful women on the screen before glancing down at herself. "Negan," she mumble, walking to him._

 _"Like hell she does," Negan sighed, flipping the television screen off, knowing that Ana was just recreating an excuse to keep his eyes off of another attractive female for an hour or two. Nevertheless, he groaned and stood up. "Lucy!" he called. Ana frowned at the annoyance in his tone, and decided it would be nice to leave the house for a short amount of time._

 _It was fall, leaves were turning color and cool air was making its way home for the winter. Ana didn't mind the temperature, swinging her bare arms through the slight breeze with relief. Already, the sky was darkening. She figured that Negan would play with Lucy for about twenty minutes before the sun completely set, forcing the two inside. Or maybe Negan wouldn't play with Lucy at all, instead revert back to the TV screen before telling Lucy to go upstairs so he could masturbate. Ana shook the thought out of her head and strode forward along the concrete sidewalk, glancing at the houses next door. A few blocks down resided a Walmart next to the McDonald's. Of course, the Walmart was flooded with wayward and perverse beings, and Ana would be subject to their behavior, but at the moment it didn't matter._

 _It took an hour to exit the Walmart with a bag of chocolate and chips dangling from Ana's hand. The sun had set, and the parking lot was increasingly darkening. With a slight tinge of anxiety, Ana quickly walked from the parking lot, setting course for home._

 _It wasn't until halfway home that Ana realized someone was following her. Yes, she noticed there was a man behind her but the route she was on was the route to various other stores and bus stops. But at this point, the only thing left were homes, and Ana's confusing route had kept him on her tail. She clutched the bag in her hand with white knuckles, slowly peering over her shoulder, and taking a deep breath of relief._

 _"Simon," she smiled warmly at one of the family's friends, dropping the bag to her side with slight relief. He returned the expression, although his eyes were hooded._

 _"Ana," he mumbled while taking a step towards her, reaching his arm out to caress her shoulder. Taken aback, Ana furrowed her brows._

 _"Are you okay, Simon?" she questioned, inhaling the pervasive sent of alcohol that emanated from his mouth. When he didn't reply and merely tightened his grip on her shoulder, she frantically looked around. Ana was no where near a house since her path had taken her between a smattering of trees and abandoned buildings. Before she had a chance to fight her way out of Simon's grip, he reached for her other arm and slammed her onto the ground, heavily. Then, climbing on top of her, he reached for her pants with a sickening smirk._

There was a prominent knock on the door, followed by footsteps heading towards Ana's room. As soon as her brain was functioning, the stabbing in her calf registered. The girl groaned, realizing that the infection was worsening. The knocking continued. Ana panicked, and pulled the covers over her cold body, shielding it from the person turning the doorknob. She stared sheepishly at the doorway, further shrinking under the covers as Rick appeared with a pack in his hands.

"Come on," he said, no emotion in his voice. His eyes quickly fleeted over Ana's covered body before turning around, and leaving. Ana bit the inside of her cheek, wondering how she was going to keep up with Rick if her leg was burning. However, she realized, the faster she got out of bed the faster she would find some pain medication. She eventually made her way out of her bed, and realizing she had been wearing the same outfit for the past couple of days, hopped to the closet, her hands flinging clothes from the rack to try and find something useful to wear. Sooner rather than later, she settled on kapri leggings with a white t-shirt. In pain, she limped to her crutches, grabbed them, and made her way from her room out the door.

Rick was standing in front of the RV, his arms crossed against his chest. His eyes fell across Ana almost instantly; it was hard to ignore the constant clacking of the crutches against the pavement.

"Where are we going?" Ana asked once she was within his hearing range.

"Hilltop."

"Why?"

"Maggie," after a moment of silence, he opened his lips again, "and you."

Ana closed her mouth, curious as to what happened to Maggie, but relieved to know that her infection would be taken care of. Rick's adamant aversion to talking kept her from asking what happened to Maggie, so she figured she'd ask someone already in the RV.

Rick helped Ana onboard after some slight hesitation. After watching her struggle to get up the first step, he walked over to her, placing his hand on the thigh that belonged to the shot calf, supporting it until she was able to bring the other foot up to the next step. Most of the group was onboard, hogging all the seats. Michonne seemed to be missing, bidding a sudden curiosity in Ana. Daryl wasn't there either, nor was Glenn. She realized that she had no idea what had happened in the past couple of days, and remained in the dark as always. The group was watching her with concerned looks on their faces, as if she was a part of their family for being close with Rick. A warm smile crossed her face as she put her crutches in front of her and tried to get to the back of the RV.

Once there, she found Maggie curled up, her face pale and her skin clammy. Almost instantly, Ana sunk to her knees, the crutches landing on the floor.

"Christ, what happened, Maggie?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know," she said. Ana quickly hugged Maggie.

"I'll stay here," Ana said. Maggie offered the smallest hint of gratefulness. Ana leaned back against the wall opposite Maggie, bringing her legs to her chest as the RV kicked into motion. For the most part, the ride remained boring and dull. At one point, Aaron returned to the back of the camper to comfort Maggie and following Aaron came Rick. He briefly talked to Maggie about his plan to go to the Hilltop, and how the group could make it through anything. He glanced over at Ana, pulling his lips into a straight line and roughly swallowing before leaving to get some water for Maggie. He returned a second later, helping her sip the water.

"What the bitch?"

Ana threw her attention towards the front of the RV. Rick quickly left Ana and Maggie, telling both of them to stay in the RV. Ana tried to stand up, but in an instant her good leg gave out and she fell onto the floor, her hurt calf slamming onto the floorboards as she winced in pain. She knew there was a tear in her sutures, and whimpered slightly when the pain refused to give way.

"Are you okay?" Maggie asked. Ana nodded, turning her leg to the side and noticing a fresh stain of blood forming against the old bandage. She swallowed thickly, closing her eyes as she tried to tell herself they would be at the Hilltop soon.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Ana replied.

The RV began backing up as Ana heard a door shut. She had the slight want to call for Rick, to tell her she had injured herself further but realized it would do no good. Instead, she remained silent, observing Maggie while she fell asleep quickly and quietly. Her breathing slowed to a constant rhythm. Ana herself drifted off. Or at least, she was half asleep when she heard a few gunshots.

They lasted a second but seemed muffled by the RV walls. By the talk inside the RV, she deduced that no one in the group was outside. She glanced across the small room, seeing as Maggie had rolled over to face the wall but was still asleep. Ana glanced down towards the bandage on her leg. It was completely soaked through, yet the pain had subsided to a dull throb. Minutes passed before a pair of feet made their way to the back of the RV. Rick took a seat next to Ana, observing the blood dripping from the bandage. Ana's face was pale like Maggie's, warranting Rick to press the back of his hand to her forehead, feeling the warmth radiate from it. Rick peeked at her eyes. Her head was turned, lopped in his direction, but her eyes were only half open, fluttering open every so often. Rick quickly left, retrieving a spare jacket and returning to create a makeshift bandage. As he wrapped it around the preexistent one, he heard Ana moaning in pain.

"Shh," he said lightly, tying a knot in the front of her leg and grabbing a pillow that Maggie wasn't using. He propped her leg up on it, and then allowed her to lean against his shoulder. From her groggy state, she barely noticed his hand holding her head against him.

"We thought you were going to die," Rick resorted to saying at last.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"I know," he said, rubbing his fingers through her hair.

"My leg hurts."

Rick smiled at the obvious statement. "We'll be at the Hilltop soon."

"What was the shooting all about?"

"The Saviors are trying to intimidate us, bring us away from the Hilltop."

"Oh." Ana inhaled deeply, hearing Rick's heartbeat through his chest while she fiddled with zipper guarding his pocket. She flipped the metal between her fingers; it was a poor attempt at distracting herself from the pain. "I'm sorry."

"This isn't your fault," Rick said sternly, using his free hand to pry her hand from the zipper and also to tilt her head towards his face. "It's Negan's."

"It's my fault my leg is screwed up."

Rick's eyes searched Ana's while he spoke, "I'm surprised you're able to stay awake with a fever like that."

"Honestly, I feel awful."

Rick let loose a quick grin, his head leaning towards hers as he tried to kiss her softly. Ana instantly pulled away as Negan's face flashed in front of her eyes. She bit her lip, pulling her arm to her side and sitting up straight so that no part of her body made contact with his. She felt miserable, and though she wanted to kiss him, figured she only wanted to do so for the wrong reasons. Millions of words passed between them despite the never-ending silence.

The breaks on the RV suddenly squealed to a stop.

"Stay here," Rick ordered. He left the RV quickly. Ana leaned against the wall, the distraction from the pain in her leg disappeared. More gunshots ensued in the following moments. Ana brought her hands over her head, waiting until the gunfire was over and sighing in relief when Rick entered the RV and ran to the back of it.

"What happened?" Ana asked.

"Saviors," he replied, placing the bloody hatchet in his hand on the floor. "I have to go talk to the rest of the group, stay here."

Ana nodded, following his orders by resting her head against the wall and trying to rest.

The RV stopped and retreated a few more times before Rick returned, his tired eyes resting on Maggie's sore body. He talked to her for a bit, turned to Ana with a worried expression, and then retreated to the front of the camper. She fell asleep while the sun went down, her body exhausted from blood loss and pain in her leg.

Rick woke her up while he was helping Maggie onto a makeshift stretcher.

"Where are we going?" Ana asked.

"We're trapped on all sides. Eugene's taking the camper and we'll travel on foot. They are expecting the RV, they don't know how many are inside of it." He talked fast, worry lacing his every word. He called for Abraham who quickly came to his aid and grabbed the back of the stretcher. Together they helped Maggie from the RV. Ana had difficulty helping herself to her feet. Her leg was too sore to even move, let alone bend and unbend. She reached for her crutches and after some help from Aaron down the stairs, made it outside into the cool air. It was dark out, the sun had already set and the trees provided perfect cover from the Saviors. Almost instantly they began their journey down a long road.

Ana stayed next to Aaron for most of the journey. He protected her from the surrounding environment while Rick carried Maggie with Abraham. The fearless leader seemed to be having a heart to heart with his son and though Ana wanted to talk to Rick, she decided it was better to keep quiet. Sasha talked to Abraham every so often.

"I'm sorry about your leg," Aaron said, his head quickly pivoting to make sure that there was no one around.

"It's okay," Ana said, recalling the fact that she hadn't had a conversation with him in weeks. "We'll get to the Hilltop and it'll get all fixed-"

Her sentence was cut short by the surprising whistling that cut through their conversation. The group paused in its tracks before Rick began to bark commands at them.

"Go! Go!" he quietly yelled, leading them into the safety of the trees. Ana started making her way after them, her crutches getting caught on branches. Aaron noticed, telling her to leave the crutches. He bent down in front of her, and Ana jumped on his back, wrapping her legs around his torso as he took off after the group. Sasha noticed this action, and moved in back of them in order to protect the two from an attack from behind.

A second later they broke through the tree line onto gravely pavement, loud spotlights shone in their face. As Ana's eyes adjusted, she realized that the spotlights were cars –multitudes of cards. The terrified girl almost shrieked at the sight of tens of men, all whistling with large guns in their hands, lazily standing against cards. Rick's group gathered into a circle, Carl and Sasha raised their guns as a threat to anyone who got close enough. Ana noticed Eugene kneeling on the ground, his face broken with embarrassment as the group's eyes dawned over the RV.

"Good," one man stepped forward, revealing his face as headlights of cars shone across it. He was ugly, old, almost evil looking. "You made it."

Simon.

Ana's grip on Aaron's back tightened in dread, prompting him to let her down. She placed one shaking arm on his shoulder in order to support herself. He allowed it, still looking around maniacally. Ana made eye contact with Rick. His mouth was slightly parted, worry dripping from his eyes. He realized something was wrong.

Upon noticing Ana Simon paused, grinning. "Ana!" he practically shouted, gesturing the gun in her direction, "last time I saw you, you were on the ground and well…" he paused, offering a smirk in Rick's direction.

"You son of a-" Rick lunged at the man instinctively, although a gun at his head paused his actions.

"Welcome to where you're going," the man continued. "We'll take your weapons." He pulled a gun from his waist and pointed it towards Carl. "Now."

Rick tried to talk but was instantly intercepted. Ana winced as Aaron moved slightly, causing her to lose balance and almost fall to her feet.

As a couple of Saviors began to pat down the group, Simon himself traveled towards Ana, running his hands over her body and pausing as it felt the blood oozing from her wound.

"Hm, now how did that happen?" he smirked, before patting her on the back. Ana's eyes focused on a lone pebble on the ground, trying to keep the tears in her eyes from falling.

"Okay," the man said as soon as the weapons were retrieved. "Let's get her down and get you all on your knees. Lots to cover."

Half of the group tended to Maggie, while Ana tried to keep her balance on one leg, although she wavered a bit. She heard a few snickers from the men behind her, and felt her face become red. Rick and Abraham helped Maggie from the cot, taking her towards the RV and setting her down on her knees as the Saviors did the same thing with Eugene.

"Gonna need you on your knees," the ugly man said to Rick's face. Rick painfully kneeled in response. Ana limped slowly, wincing with each step until she was behind Rick. He grabbed her hand the minute she was on her knees. His thumb rubbed against hers in an attempt to calm her, although it failed. He knew what Simon had done, and Ana knew he knew. The rest of the group kneeled alongside Rick, Maggie, and Ana in a matter of seconds. Following their obedience, a few Saviors drifted towards a large van and wretched Daryl, Michonne, Rosita, and Glenn from the floor inside and practically threw them on the ground next to the group. Rick's grip on Ana's hand tightened, threatening to break her small fingers. Ana looked at him. His eyes were wide with fear; she had never seen him this scared. She watched as Glenn saw Maggie's condition, harboring the same expression Rick had a second earlier.

"All right, we got a full boat!" Simon walked towards the RV. "Let's meet the man." He knocked on the RV wall. The door subsequently opened, revealing a man in a leather jacket and carrying a barbed baseball bat. He walked forward, speaking as he did so.

"Pissing our pants yet?"

Ana's heart sunk, her head instantly pointed at the ground. It the last few minutes, she completely forgot about the fact that her husband led this dangerous group of people, and that he was alive and kicking. His eyes skimmed over the group at first, not recognizing her from the top of her greasy head. A few tears slipped from her eyes and her breath caught in her throat, making her unable to breath for a few moments.

"Boy, do I have a feeling we're getting close."

Ana raised her jaw slowly, her eyes resting on Negan's face, noticing his beard, and his slicked back hair. He looked different, yet he still maintained his world renowned smile that Ana loved seeing. Her heart was being ripped from her chest; she wanted to stand up, run to him, hug him, and forget about the current predicament. Almost instantly, Negan's eyes were upon her face, and then to her hand encapsulated by Rick's. His expression contorted into that of confusion and possible anger before he opened his mouth.

"Holy fuck," he muttered in her direction. He walked closer to her, Ana's head tilted up as he got closer. It seemed as if he were going to reach out and touch her and yet-

"Get her the hell out of here."

Arms instantly wrapped around Ana's shoulders, dragging her from the group. "Rick!" she called as she was dragged away hopelessly. Her calf dragged across the ground, bidding more blood from the wound. She cried out in pain, trying to free herself from the grasp of two men. A second later, her eyes came face to face with the butt of a gun. She slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Negan watched Ana fall to the ground, frowning before looking at Rick, whose jaw was clenched.

"You been fucking my wife?" Negan demanded.

A/N: _I have a LOT of things to say to bear with me!  
First: I can't believe I have over 100 followers, thank you so much for enjoying this excuse for a story- i really appreciate it!  
Second: I know I promised Negan in chapter 11 but I've rewritten this chapter about three times and by the third time it was only 1,000 words so I combined the two chapters. Hopefully this doesn't upset anyone...(not sure why it would)  
Third: If any of you have been wondering where the title came from, it came from the song Fumes by Eden (check out his music it's amazing)  
Fourth: Thank you to StTudnoBright for pointing out a mistake in the last chapter :)  
Fifth: I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible so there may be a smattering of spelling errors/mistakes here and there  
AND finally, sixth: this story is probably going to shift from the TV storyline now that Negan is in the picture. _

_Replies:_

 _I'm a Nerd and Proud: He's one of the most intense villains I've ever met! Also, my boyfriend laughed at reading what you said about character #1 dying off...he loved him._

 _waistedyouth: thank you! I try my best to produce quality chapters and I hope you're happy with Negan's first appearance._

 _StTudnoBright: it took a long time to figure out how I wanted Ana to meet Negan and I finally settled on this :). Surprisingly, Negan already has an idea of Rick and Ana's relationship...which won't be a good thing._

 _Jasper'sCowgirl: Definitely! Ana has been so isolated the past few months and told by multiple people that being quiet is better than talking, but as time goes on, she's definitely going to find her own voice._

 _aj hearts: aw, thank you :) enjoy the chapter_

 _crystaltonics: The funny thing is, I wrote this before the Here's Negan comics so I had NO idea who Lucille was! I'm kinda glad I didn't change it, because I gotta say Ana is one of my favorite characters. As for her relationship with Negan, her true feelings about their relationship will soon come to light._


	11. Chapter 11

11.

Rick crumbled, his body falling against the floor of the RV following Negan's punch to his gut.

"So, my wife been good?" Negan asked, watching as the pathetic excuse for a leader tried to catch his breath and position himself against the seat behind him. Rick parted his lips, trying to speak. When he didn't, Negan continued.

"Y'know I always thought she was good in bed, problem was getting her there. Yeah, and maybe her pussy was a little dry, her tits too small but hey," Negan chuckled, "what are you going to do? I married her right?"

"I didn't sleep with your wife," Rick choked out between breaths. "I didn't sleep with Ana."

"Sure you didn't, prick," Negan said, delivering a kick to his side before continuing his verbal assaults.

* * *

 _Two days later_

"Ground control to Major Tom."

Ana thought she was dreaming at first, and tried to bring her arm down to swat the fingers that danced across her thigh. However, her attempts were in vein. For some reason, her hand wouldn't move from it's position above her head. Annoyed, she cracked open an eye. Negan resided in front of her half-naked body that hung by her wrists. Her bare feet barely scraped the grimy floor of whatever confine she was in.

She closed her eyes, reopening them in hopes of seeing her bedroom in Alexandria. Negan watched her curiously, swinging his bat back and forth. He had been in the room once in the past two days, leaving Simon to be with her most of the time. The fresh bruises cutting across her torso proved how venomous Simon could be. Negan brushed the thought of Simon touching her away, coating his face with indifference as he waited for her to look at him. Yes, he realized that her unawareness of location only proved the severe concussion wasn't healing. He had wanted to talk to her before either letting her suffer, or calling the doctor.

It was then that Ana registered the pain; the searing hot pain in her calf and the aching on her stomach. Slowly pivoting her head down, the first thing she noticed were the bruises and lack of clothes. She was wearing a mere bra and some shorts. Disgusted and despondent, her eyes raised to Negan's. He smirked under her gaze, ready to began his spiel.

"Rise and shine, sunshine," he said in a loud, sardonic tone.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Ana practically spit out, noticing how rough her throat felt when she spoke. Had she been screaming?

"You tried to kill me, and you're asking why I'm doing _this_ to _you_? Honey…" he scoffed at her words, quickly turning and pointing his bat in her face. She stared at the dried blood and flesh that coated the barbed wire in horror. "You are in big, big trouble."

Ana bit her cheek, noticing a lump rising in her throat. Negan thought she attempted to kill him. "I didn't do it," she tried to reason, "Negan, I could never."

"Is that why I woke up in a malfunctioned Easy Bake Oven?" he threw at her.

"I didn't start it. When I called your name, you didn't answer. I had to leave." Ana broke eye contact, staring at the ground as her feet dragged along it. Her wrists were on fire, and she realized that the marks from the rope would likely stay with her for the next week.

"Where's the little jackal?"

Ana had expected a response to her declarative, so she was rightly taken aback when he referenced their daughter. He still thought Lucille was alive.

 _This could benefit me_ , Ana realized, pondering her next choice of words. If she told Negan Lucille was alive, he would have to keep Ana alive. Conversely, he could torture her until she relinquished Lucille's location. When he didn't find their daughter, Ana could be killed. If she said Lucille had died, Negan could just kill Ana on the spot. Another question hit her harder than Negan's. Could he even kill her? They spent part of their life together happily married. Would he really kill her?

"She's dead," Ana resorted to her second choice, hoping for the best response. Negan's face contorted as he swallowed thickly. Within a second, his cool, calculated façade returned.

"How?"

"She flipped a switch, starting the fire." Ana coughed into the side of her upper arm, her vision swimming at the violent shaking.

"Suicide by fucking fire?" Negan asked incredulously, chuckling for a quick second, "world goes to shit, I guess that's one way to go."

"It's not a joke."

"No, no that's not a joke," Negan mocked, taking a step towards her and leaning in close. Even hung up by her wrists, he was still a few inches taller than her. His head turned down at her, he spoke again, "you know what's a joke? The fact that you think I believe you." He smirked, leaning away and turning from her. "That's pretty fucking funny, Ana. Pretty. Fucking. Funny."

"I'm not lying," she whispered in a barely audible voice, the sense of dread washing over her.

"Two reasons you're still awake, and you better be thanking me for them." Negan paced while he spoke, "one, I don't like hurting women. And two, with your scrambled brain, you couldn't survive another beating."

Ana quieted, realizing how useless trying to convince him was.

"So, what now?" Negan turned to her with pride in his eyes, "great question. I go tend to my sheep, and you stay with Simon."

"No, please-" Ana quickly retracted her plea, realizing that her complaint could lead to the revelation of Simon's secret. She wasn't ready to tell Negan yet, knowing that in this moment her husband wasn't completely rational.

"C'mon, sweetheart. Simon's your damn friend! Be thankful." With that Negan turned to leave, pausing before his hands landed on the cool metal of the doorknob. "Ciao," he called to her, turning the knob and stepping out.

Ana breathed heavily, her throat closing and her stomach twisting at the thought of seeing Simon. She whimpered slightly, throwing her head around in hopes to find something that could help her escape. Nothing seemed available except a chair in the corner of the room, and her movement only made her head worse. So, Ana gave up. She let her legs go limp, hanging by nothing but her wrists as the pain and moments dragged on endlessly. For a while she imagined Rick running through those doors, cutting her down and carrying her home. She knew it was impossible, but the hope remained. Rick soon turned to Negan, throwing his arms around her and burying his head in her neck as Lucille peeked around his leg.

"Mommy?" she questioned.

"Yes, honey," Ana said in a strange wave of false relief, "it's me honey."

Her relief was short-lived; Lucille's body caught fire as Negan laughed viciously, occasionally glancing at Ana to make sure she knew he was relishing the moment.

Ana screamed until her throat stopped making noise. Forcing her eyes down, she cried loudly. When she looked back up, Lucille and Negan were gone. She fell asleep despite the throbbing in virtually every appendage.

"Ground control to Major Tom."

Ana forced her eyes open, staring at Negan's hands along her thigh. She sighed in relief, before trying to hug him. However, she noticed her wrists hanging from the ceiling and with perplexity, glanced at her husband.

"Where's Lucille?" Negan questioned in a low voice, continuing to run his hand along her smooth skin. Ana focused on his calloused hands instead of the pain in her head, wrists, stomach, and calf.

"She's dead, Negan," Ana quietly whispered. Negan's fingers paused on her skin, his other hand reaching up to grab Ana by her neck. He held her there for a bit, squeezing lightly as Ana grimaced.

"Did you kill her?"

Ana's eyes went wide in utter astonishment. How dare he ask her- "Nunca pude," she mumbled.

"Stop it with the Dora shit, sweet cheeks," he said coolly.

"I could never," Ana repeated herself with more confidence, "she died in the fire."

"I wonder who started that fire…" Negan removed his hand, furrowing his brow in false confusion.

"The gas…" Ana said, replaying the scene in her head. Consequently, she grimaced and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Riight, the gas. I should have known."

Ana cocked her head to the side, "do you not believe me?"

"I have an easier time believing you'd let me fuck you sideways right now than that shit, honey," Negan pointed out, already making his journey to the door. Ana called out for him, although he didn't respond as the metal door slammed behind him. She cried for a short while, pulling at the ropes that burned her wrists. Eventually she gave up, and closed her eyes in defeat.

"Major Tom?"

Ana opened her eyes to Negan's familiar face. His hand was on her thigh and this time, she was able to reach out and place her soft hand over his. She noticed the strange ligature marks on her bare arms and tilted her head slightly in puzzlement. Was it not long ago that she was tied up to a ceiling, or was that a dream? Slightly irked, she pulled her hand away and leaned against the wall behind her.

She was sitting on an old cot with a small blue sheet resting on her leg. Her calf and stomach were both completely numb. Her head retained a dull ache, but still hurt to move in any general direction. Luckily, the room she was in possessed dim lighting, and was thus easy on her eyes.

"Negan?" Ana croaked out. Her throat was sore, torn up. Had she been screaming? Ana shook her head, realizing that there was no way she could've been screamed. She hadn't been awake before now. Or had she?

"Rise and shine, sunshine," Negan smirked. Ana frowned, hadn't she heard that before? She rubbed her head, feeling a bruise leading from her temple to her ear. Dried blood flaked off onto her hand as she ran her fingers through her dirty hair. Negan obviously took notice of her disgusting appearance.

"Did not believe in cryptids until I saw you myself, believe me," he chuckled lightly. This only deepened Ana's pout, despite Negan's soothing voice. After a few moments of silence, Negan's hand moved to her cheek. "Fucking missed you babe," he mumbled, dragging his thumb across her cheek bone to her lips. She smelled the dirt on his fingers, but paid it no mind, and instead leaned into his hand, feeling it rub against her cheek.

"I thought you died," Ana said quietly.

Negan frowned sarcastically, "do you have that little hope in me?"

Ana drew her lips into a thin line. "You didn't answer when I called your name."

"You know I like my sexy music before sexy time," he reasoned.

Ana giggled lightly, reaching her fingers up and holding his wrist as he threatened to pull his hand away. Her eyes landed on the rope burns around her wrists. She blinked quietly, trying to remember where they came from. Negan sensed her bewilderment and quickly spun a lie.

"From when my saviors tied your ass up when we first saw each other," he pointed to them with his free hand, "Gonna have to punish someone for damaging my prized possession." He winked at her slowly.

Ana wasn't sure whether to smile or not, but had no reason to not believe him. She didn't even remember that night.

"Your brain's all sorts of fucked, memory should come back sooner or later."

"Oh," Ana mumbled, trying to recall every time she had been hit on the head in the past week or two. The taciturn that followed was welcomed, and Ana scanned Negan's face, taking in all of the new wrinkles. He was quiet as well, which was unusual for someone of his character. After realizing this, he suddenly stood up.

"Time to hit the hay," he stretched his back, groaning as he did so. Ana furrowed her brow, wishing he would stay with her.

 _He leads a group of murderers_ she reminded herself. Then, in digression, Ana wondered if he had killed anyone from Alexandria. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know. As long as Rick was alive…

Rick.

Her mind began to wonder-

"Simon'll be outside if you need any shit. I think I'll come by to collect you in a day. Gonna stop by your boyfriend's old house."

"Wait-"

But Negan was already out the door, leaving Ana mere yards away from her rapist. The threat of Simon entering and assaulting Ana at any time suddenly resonated in her mind, pushing any thoughts of Rick and the group out of the picture.

A/N: _I meant to upload this a week ago, but I rewrote this chapter about 50 times, trying to get it the way I wanted it. Not sure if I like it as is, but I needed to publish it sooner or later! A quick note about my replies: since I'm starting to get more replies with each chapter, I'm only going to reply to the ones that bring up discussions about the story or show :) This doesn't mean I don't love your reviews, I'm so thankful for each and every one of them! They fuel my motivation to write more. Also, welcome all of you new followers, I'm glad you decided to stick along for the ride._

 _Replies:_

 _general reply: I'm soooo relieved and happy that so many of you liked the ending of the last chapter! It makes me smile reading all of your reviews_

 _crystaltonics: as you can probably guess, both Negan and Ana have mixed feelings about seeing each other. At least she's out of danger for the time being :)_

 _StTudnoBright: Negan does know she was raped and I'll get to flashbacks regarding his reaction in future chapters. However, he doesn't know about Simon's role in it. But hey, maybe Negan'll find out soon._

 _I'm a Nerd and Proud: He laughed at your response; it seems that all the characters you hate he loves! :) I hope Negan kills Simon soon as well (at least in this story). I've always hated him._

 _Jamiemorgan113: I figured letting him show up a chapter early was better than publishing two rather short chapters, I'm glad you liked it! I also pronounce Ana like "aw na" and Anna like "anne ah". Ana sounds more posh, in my opinion._

 _msgemgem: yep, I'm hoping this chapter (at least if you spend time dissecting it) will show Ana's submissive nature towards Negan (for example; still referring to him as her husband and being happily married despite the obvious fact she wasn't happy)._

 _diverge-ent: Yay, I'm glad you believe she fits in. I noticed a lot of people walking around Alexandria that aren't part of Rick's group, so I thought it'd be realistic enough if someone wondered into Alexandria like others have._


	12. Chapter 12

12.

 _Ana's tattered shoes crunched against the thin layer of snow the prior night had brought. Small flurries fell around her chilled face as the sun began to rise above the trees. Off in the distance, she spotted an awkward figure, hurtling towards her through the frozen fields. She sighed and turned her cheek, figuring that Connie could take care of it later._

 _Focusing on her task at hand, she bent down and lazily picked up a frozen squirrel. She inspected it carefully, looking for any bites or scratches. Luckily, the squirrel's coat wasn't perforated, and Ana shoved it into a small makeshift box for dinner. Then, she continued searching._

 _After an hour, Ana entered her cottage with a pink nose and three squirrels. Connie, who was tending to the dying fire in the main living space, glanced over her shoulder upon hearing Ana's footsteps._

 _"Wunderbar!" Connie stood up from the faulty fireplace, raising her arms above her head and cheering happily at the sight of food. Ana smiled sheepishly, handing her box of vermin to her friend._

 _"There's a zombie right beyond the fence line, you might have to get it," Ana told Connie, "I'm tired from all that searching." She travelled to the sad fire, sitting in front of it and warming first her hands, then her face._

 _"Don't say the z-word, A," Connie scolded her, placing the box on the ground. "We're in an actual apocalypse! We need to be more creative."_

 _"I'm not saying biter," Ana mumbled after accepting the small reminder that Connie was only twenty-one by Connie's irrational excitement._

 _"Cheer up, grumps." Connie's hands found their way onto Ana's shoulders, massaging them lightly. Ana grunted in response. There seemed to be a million reasons for her bitterness. However, Connie had already heard all of them. And without living in Ana's shoes, Connie was unable to properly sympathize –or even empathize- with Ana._

 _They sat there for a few moments until Ana's body had warmed to the point of comfortability._

 _"Go get the zombie. I'll start preparing dinner."_

 _"Do we have any, hm, plants?" Connie asked, "y'know something besides meat?"_

 _"I found a couple of herbs a few days ago. They were pretty much dead-"_

 _"Cool!" Connie interrupted, skipping towards the door without a jacket. Ana sighed, rationalizing that Connie's naivety would shrivel as the winter wore one. With a loud thump, the heavy door closed, rendering Ana alone. She easily stood, making her way towards the cool kitchen and reaching in the sink for a knife. Using a dirty towel, she did her best to wipe the knife clean before bringing it to the fire to sterilize it. Without knowledge of how the virus spread, Ana tried to make sure everything was as clean as could be._

 _She lazily cut into the first squirrel's skin, starting at the tail._

 _Connie returned home half an hour later while the second squirrel was cooking in a pot positioned on a rack above a fire that breathed new light. She smiled at the sight, inhaling deeply and charging towards Ana, who was setting a few plates down near the flames._

 _"We should sing songs, yknow, to cheer us up?"_

 _"Connie…"_

 _"No, Ana, listen to me! I know a couple of campfire songs."_

 _Ana rolled her eyes while her head was faced down, concentrating on the task at hand. She grabbed a stick and poked at the meat on the rack, testing it. She refused to reply to Connie –why should she try to cheer herself up? They were in the middle of an apocalypse, singing wasn't going to bring a genuine smile to her face._

 _Connie continued badgering Ana for most of the night, even while they ate the delectable squirrel._

 _"Sing with me, Ana!" she continued whining._

 _"Shut up, Connie," Ana grumbled, shoveling the food into her mouth._

 _"There's a..web like a spider's web, made of silver light and shadow-"_

 _"Cállate!" Ana slammed her plate on the ground in annoyance, almost shattering it. Connie quieted, filling the entire room with unbearable taciturn. "I'm sorry," Ana said lightly, reaching out towards Connie. The girl shrank away from Ana's touch and placed her plate on the ground, using her foot to nudge it towards Ana._

 _"I'm not hungry, I think I'm going to get some sleep. Wake me up when it's my turn to watch," Connie said mechanically. She stood, and traveled to the corner of the room. Her sleeping bag was already unrolled, and so Connie slid into it easily. For the next few hours, Ana listened to Connie's soft breathing until it became rhythmic._

 _Ana sat by the fire the entire night, choosing to let her friend sleep for a full 7 hours. Perhaps she did this because of the guilt she felt for lashing out, or maybe she wanted time to think alone. It didn't matter. The sun rose before Ana realized, and Connie was once again in good spirits._

 _"Why'd you let me sleep so long?"_

 _The voice startled Ana, who's eyes were staring at the warm charcoals in the fire. Her arms were wrapped around her quickly chilling body, and she realized that the fire would soon need replenishing._

 _"I'm sorry about last night," Ana offered in a quiet voice._

 _Connie nodded, "it's fine. I understand you weren't in the best of moods." She paused before parting her lips once again. "Get some sleep," she practically demanded._

 _Ana forced a half-smile, "that's probably a good idea."_

 _"I know, I'm pretty good with those."_

 _With Connie's smart suggestion, Ana stood up, wiped her eyes and walked to the tattered green sleeping back adjacent to Connie's. Her feet stuck out of the ripped ends –it was meant for a young child. Nonetheless, Ana fell asleep within minutes._

 _The second she woke up, she wished she hadn't slept. Connie was screaming by the front door, bidding Ana from her dreams. She scrambled to her feet, hazily looking around the room with her eyes finally landing on the foyer. Connie's hand was being eaten by a zombie as she watched in horror, trying to hit it with a golden candlestick. Her efforts were in vain, and the large door began to open wider as more of the undead poured through, groaning loudly and hungry for flesh. Connie's wide eyes turned toward Ana helplessly._

 _With her last ounce of energy, she whispered, "run."_

 _Ana had no time to properly assess the situation before flight response kicked in. She ran towards the back door, grabbing nothing but her grab bag she packed for this reason. Tears flying from her eyes, Ana exited the house into the cold. She ran and ran until the house was no longer in view and all she could see was a dense forest in any given direction. Only then did she pause and catch her breath, crying the entire time._

There were warm hands on her slim waist, rubbing from her breasts to her hips. At the feeling, her eyes opened wide in sudden confusion. Simon loomed above her, smiling with wide eyes. Her hands were tied above her head to two previously unnoticed bedposts.

"I can feel your ribs clearly, darling. Not the hottest thing in the world," he cooed

Ana squirmed underneath his firm hands, whimpering when his fingers squeezed together, pushing into the cartilage that connecting her ribs to her sternum.

"Stay still, you're ruining our little reunion."

"I'll tell Negan-" Ana tried to squeak out, but was quieted by Simon's hand tracing her jawline.

"You haven't told him anything yet, sweetheart. Besides," Simon smiled, "who is he really going to believe?" Instead of letting Ana answer, Simon leaned in and placed his alcohol-laced lips on Ana's chapped ones, reaching his way up her shirt to pull it off. Feeling Ana grimace above him, he paused, his eyes trailing down her stomach.

"Painkillers wear off?" he questioned, gently patting the bruises on her stomach. "Should've been more gentle, huh?" The bruises took Ana by surprise; she had no recollection of them. All she remembered were a few hazy days in a dark room with Negan's face occasionally flashing in front her's, demanding answers to very specific questions. She couldn't remember those questions either.

Ana quickly recollected herself, squirming underneath Simon and bringing her knee between his crotch. She wasn't about to be raped by the same man twice.

Simon grunted and fell onto the floor Ana, who helplessly curled her legs towards her stomach and pulled herself onto her side, her back against the wall. Her actions wouldn't go unpunished, but any amount of pain was worth not being raped.

Ana heard Simon moan as he inhaled deeply, laughing as he released his breath and raising himself above the bed. Fury burned in his eyes while he cracked his neck to the side and took in Ana's helpless body, debating what he wanted to do first. He couldn't hurt her face –hell, Negan would knock him into another dimension if he hurt her precious face. He debated pulling her pants down, sliding inside of her and knowing what it was like to have Negan's girl once again. Though, there were doctors here. Surely one of them knew evidence of rape, and if Negan found out-

His thoughts were quickly brushed away by a loud, severe knocking on the door of the small cabin. Simon angrily shot a look at Ana, whose face had washed over with relief. Simon put a finger to his lips to signify the importance of her silence, and left her alone in the room, her hands still tied to the bedposts. She watched him leave with wide eyes and quickly went to work trying to undue the simple knots around her wrists. The second the door to the room opened, she paused, lying on her back while Negan strolled into the room, whistling and lazily dragging his bat on the floor.

"You must've been bad, little sheep. Simon doesn't usually tie ladies up…unless they're in his own bed," he smiled, kneeling down besides Ana and placing his leathered hand against her chin. "Missed you, baby." He quickly untied her hands, and she brought them to her chest.

"Simon hurt me."

"Now now," Negan leaned forward and gently kissed Ana's cheek, not paying mind to the pain in her voice. He knew Simon had done what was necessary to get her to talk a few days ago, and figured that she had discovered this while he was away. "Leave that to me, sunshine." He focused his eyes downwards at her lower leg, which was pushed into an awkward position. "How's the old getaway stick doing?"

Ana, confused at his lack of emotional response regarding Simon, glanced down at her calf and realized it felt painless.

"Fine," she mumbled, rolling her foot in circles to test the sensation.

"And the noodle?" he pointed with a thumb to her head.

"Also fine."

"Why so quiet today?"

"Negan, Simon hurt me," Ana looked into his brown eyes, "a few moments ago."

Negan frowned, rubbing his hands on his beard as if he were in deep thought. "That shit's not funny, sweetheart."

"I'm not lying," Ana pleaded, reaching for his hand and taking it in her small, dainty fingers. She quickly debated whether to tell him about the other awful things Simon committed. After a moment or two, she decided it was better to let him know a little at a time. That way, hopefully, he wouldn't do anything rash.

The two stayed, staring at each other until a call from outside the house brought Negan to his feet. Quickly hoisting his trusty bat onto his shoulder, he reached down another hand for Ana. She took it and nimbly crawled off the bad, pausing as her head whooshed. Negan steadied her with a hand on her waist, and led her towards the rickety door. The house was small, and smelled of moist dry wood. There resided a small couch in a living room, and a kitchen torn to shambles. Ana found herself glad that she had never ventured from the room. It was much more horrible out here.

Simon stood outside, smiling at Ana's tired face. He followed suit, observing Negan's protective arm around her while Ana's head slowly pivoted to observe the surroundings.

They were in a forest, a heavily wooded forest that blocked most of the sunlight. A small creek ran past the house in front of Ana's feet. She stepped over it with Negan's help and made her way to a large black armored vehicle blasting fumes in her direction. The back of the truck was open, and the flap that covered it was held up by a few bungee cords. It was here that Negan tried to lead Ana. After coughing a few times, Negan hurried the pace, and once making it to the back, jumped in before helping Ana crawl in. Simon stood behind them expectantly, before Negan opened his mouth.

"Make sure the ride ain't too bumpy." He winked, and then reached for the bungee cords, subsequently closing the flap in Simon's displeased face. Turning around, Negan noticed Ana crawling towards the corner of the truck and quickly followed her, setting Lucille on the metallic floor, half under his leg with the barbed wire sticking out.

"Come here," he ordered, and Ana rolled her head in his direction. Moving was becoming a hassle as her head tried to keep up with the changing environment, but she managed to lean towards him. Negan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, inhaling her scent and then reminding himself to make her shower. Her greasy head leaned against his neck as he sighed deeply. The armored vehicle started rolling shortly after, gently overcoming small hills of dirty and gravel. There were a few minutes of sheer silence before Negan spoke.

"You kiss him?"

"Rick?"

Negan nodded against Ana's head.

"Yes," Ana said after pondering multiple responses.

"Did you like it?"

"Yes," the answer came faster this time, as it seemed honesty would be better than lying. She heard Negan swallow thickly against her head, although his grip around her never tightened.

"Did he touch you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did he rub your pussy, Ana?"

The blunt question resonated with Ana. No, he had never touched her like that but when they kissed, it sure seemed like it would have happened. His legs had already been so close. Had Negan not captured her, it probably would've happened after they returned home. And would she have liked it? It was Ana's turn to swallow a thick pill as she realized her current predicament.

"No. Never," Ana blinked a few times before bringing an arm around Negan's leather jacket, listening to his heart rate as she wondered why he seemed so scary. From this angle, he was her Negan from all those years ago. The light-hearted coach that occasionally dabbled but always returned to her side was with her again, and it seemed as if nothing could ruin the moment, not even Negan's stubbornness and constant badgering.

Ana heard the road under her change from dirt to asphalt as the truck sped down a long road. The switch instantly reminded her that she would soon be back in her old home, though not to stay. Big eyes glanced up at Negan, noticing that his were closed and his face relaxed. Was he using Ana to control Rick? And if he was, was it working? The words exchanged between Rick and Ana were usually minimal, although their relationship had built over the past few months. However, it seemed unrealistic to think that Rick felt that strong towards her. Perhaps there was another reason Rick hadn't come for her, perhaps Negan took someone else. Perhaps he hurt someone else.

Ana threw the thought from her head the instant it rolled in, angry to even imagine Negan hurting someone from Alexandria. Regardless, one by one certain ideas and scenarios followed her thoughts, reminding Ana that Negan has hurt people before, and his people almost killed her. The warm arm around Ana's body shifted as Ana shied away from it. Negan's face instantly contorted as his eyes opened and peered down at her.

"What's wrong, baby?" Negan questioned.

Ana parted her lips, "did you hurt anyone from Alexandria?"

Negan laughed what seemed to be a whole hearted laugh, "they killed my men Ana, multiple times. Even blew the fuck out of some of them!"

Ana's mouth went dry, her throat tightened. Negan couldn't have hurt them –no. He probably captured them, and is holding them in a house similar to Ana's. "But you didn't hurt them, right?"

"I mean aside from the two fuckers whose brains I mashed into a chunky smoothie, nope."

The speechless girl could barely move, but soon found the strength to slide away from Negan to the opposite side of the truck. He watched in slight surprise, scoffing when Ana stopped moving.

"What the hell did you want me to do? Rules are rules, sweetie."

"I want to go."

"What did you say?"

Ana drew her arm up, wiping a strand of hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. She easily repeated her words, "I want to leave, Negan."

"No can do. Promised Rick he'd see your pretty face again," Negan grabbed Lucille from under his leg and placed it in Ana's spot, pursing his lips in annoyance while contemplating how to apologize.

"Leave me in Alexandria," Ana demanded.

Negan chuckled deeply, "that is a ridiculous idea. You are never going near that prick again."

"You have no right-"

"It's a new fucking world, girl. You listen to me, no questions and no resistance. Now get over here."

Ana sunk further into her corner, averting her eyes and focusing on the rhythm of the tires on the road. She heard Negan's deep sigh a minute later.

"Get the fuck over here, I won't ask again."

Her eyes drifted to Negan's body. His hand was gently patting the dull floor beside his body, his eyes cold and demeaning. After debating the consequences of her subsequent actions, Ana slowly slid towards Negan, surrendering to his grasp on her. His arm instantly wrapped around her, pulling her close and forbidding her from leaving again. Keeping her face pointed towards the wall, she tried to slow her breathing. She felt disgusted curling up to the man who killed her friends –who was now demanding her free-will be handed to him on a pedestal. Her husband seemed unfazed by her attitude and began humming a familiar John Mellencamp tune against her hair, kissing it ever so slightly.

The tarp covering the back of the truck billowed as the truck hit a bump, and Ana was forced from the ground for a split second. Startled, she threw an arm around Negan to hold on. He laughed underneath her, and she removed her arm, trying to keep a cool veneer plastered on her face.

When the vehicle finally began to slow down, and a subsequent "Negan!" was yelled in front of the truck, Ana's husband raised slowly, groaning as he did so. He grabbed Lucille, dragging her along just above the ground. Before hopping out, he turned to Ana and raised a finger.

"Stay," he ordered, as if Ana was a dog. She nodded, watching as Negan disappeared in a split second. Following his departure, she curled her legs to her knees and examined her body. Her wrists still had dark bruises from what Negan said was the result of his men. A bandage was wrapped carefully around her calf, enclosing most of her wound in a sterile space. Without lifting up her shirt, she was able to feel the bruises on her stomach that Simon had pushed into earlier. Her head was better, much less painful than it had been a few days ago, and her short term memory lapses had stopped by now, leaving her with only a handful of blank spaces.

At least a few minutes had passed before a familiar, yet unnamed blonde face appeared under the tarp, reaching a hand towards Ana's small body.

"Come on, he wants you outside," he said, the sunlight shining on his half-burnt face. Ana winced slightly, wondering what had caused such a wound, before slowly inching her way towards his hand.

"I'm Dwight," he informed her as soon as his warm hand made contact with hers. He helped her slide out of the truck, then led her around the side where a conglomerate of saviors stood, listening to Negan, who had been talking to Rick just inside Alexandria's walls.

As soon as Ana's head became visible, Rick's eyes flashed towards her, a look of hurt upon seeing her dirty, sunken face resonated in his own face. Negan followed his gaze, chuckling at Ana's awkward stature. She, meanwhile, glanced at Daryl standing by the saviors wearing a large gown that had the letter A spray painted on, sighing in relief because he was alive.

"Oh, right," Negan smiled and patted Rick on the shoulder, "just like your buddy Daryl, no touching, no talking, no looking and…for her? No fucking thinking." He turned his attention towards Ana, beckoning her to him with his gloved hand. The saviors parted, allowing her passage to Negan's side. Against Negan's instructions, her eyes found Rick's before searching the town for who was missing. Some of the saviors blended in with the normal community, making it hard to weed out who was present and who wasn't.

Negan's arm coiled around her waist, squeezing it. She cried out as his fingers pushed into her bruises, warranting Rick to step forward angrily.

"What did I fucking say?" Negan's hands dug in further as Ana bit her lip, beginning to double over and furiously rip at his hands. He continued holding her like this until Rick stepped away and forced his eyes from the sight. The leader of the saviors smiled, releasing his grip on Ana.

As soon as his hands were off her body, Ana practically threw herself from his body in pain. How could he forcibly hurt her just to control Rick? Before tears started rolling from her eyes, she chewed on the inside of her cheek and took a few deep breaths, gently holding her waist with her delicate fingers. Staring at the back of Rick's head, she straightened her spine.

"Ana, sweetheart. You gotta tell me what you want. Christmas came early this year," Negan's voice had lightened, and a wide grin stared mockingly at Rick's hair.

Knowing that disobeying Negan meant more pain, Ana took a step forward and followed him on a wide road through the community, trailing two steps behind him the entire time.

A/N: _Oh my God, guys, I'm so sorry for such the long wait! I've been sick, midterms happened, and I just haven't gotten around to uploading this. I made it a little longer than usual for the wait. The mid season finale was INSANE and it gave me so many ideas for the upcoming chapters so I hope you enjoy them ;). Quick question for those reading this: do you prefer shorter chapters that come out faster or longer chapters that are more scarce?_

 _Replies:_

 _Thanks to everyone who follows and reviews my story! I appreciate you all more than you know!_

msgemgem: Yeah the whole premise of the prior chapter was to be extremely confusing and hazy. Ana kept falling asleep, and forgetting the previous day when she woke up. As for the wives- I'm so glad the show incorporated them in. I imagine Ana will be beyond angry and upset at Negan, but will have to be understanding. Don't be fooled, Ana could never be one of them! She's much more special to Negan in that sense.

Jamiemorgan113: Space Oddity was significant in only chapter 11 (as far as I can see). Ana wasn't completely on Earth in a sense, she felt as if she were dissociating from her body and had no awareness as to what was happening. Hopefully this story continues to follow the show but focuses on Ana's experiences rather than the one's showed in the TV show. Daryl isn't in the same house as Ana, but Negan still has him in his cell :) don't worry about all the questions, I love answering them!

WickedlyMinx: None of chapter 11 was a dream! It was a series of snapshots that Ana was experiencing over the course of a few days. A new snapshot started every time Negan said "ground control to major tom". The chapter was meant to be confusing, but I hope this helps :)

I'm a Nerd and Proud: He likes Sasha decently, but not as much as Rick or Abraham... the Sasha episode wasn't all that interesting I agree. Simon has always made me feel sick even in the TV show. He just has that awful look about him, yknow? Don't worry though, Negan will find out soon enough ;)

StTudnoBright: I think Negan will feel a little sentimental seeing all of Ana's pictures with him, and perhaps a little guilty. Or maybe he'll just brush it off and think of it as a pathetic waste of resources..


	13. Chapter 13

13.

Seventy-five hours passed. And within that time, Negan escorted Ana back to her small cabin without being able to say goodbye to Rick. She was given a more complex protection and guarding detail, with five guards on duty, switching shifts every seven to eight hours. They stood two out front, and then one at each available window. Aside from them, Simon and a doctor visited to check on her and provide food three times a day. Simon had glared at Ana's body from time to time as he had sipped her glass of water, although he refused to touch her when a guard had them in sight. For this reason, Ana spent her times in the living room by the front door, where the night shift spent their time looking in at her. Negan's appearances declined as his silent-treatment-esque punishment continued every second he was in Ana's presence.

Ana's treatment of him made her feel young, almost immature. But it kept him at bay. He no longer touched her, came within a foot of her without being met by two steps back. When he did visit, he talked. He talked for hours and hoped Ana would respond at some point. For most of these visits, she curled against her cot in the bedroom, counting the amount of cracks in the wall while attempting to tune him out.

Today was different.

It was a minute after guard shifts had changed, and the sun was already beginning to rise. Ana slept on the shabby couch in the living room in case Simon decided to show up. A throw blanket covered half of her barely clothed body –a result of Negan's reluctance to let her shower and provide new clothes.

The door opened with a low creak, filling the room with a certain tension that was enough to make any one person uncomfortable. Negan stepped in, nodding to one of the watchmen outside. In his hands resided a small plate of scrambled eggs and orange juice. His eyes landed on the angel to his left, curled into a ball with no intention of waking up.

"Ana," he whispered quietly, noting that the bruises on her exposed stomach had turned a deep shade of brown. He frowned in disgust at Simon's work, wondering why he allowed his right hand man to injure her so prolifically.

The small woman awoke with a start, flying into a sitting position. Negan scared her. The fact that his words had such an impact hit him in the gut, but he swatted away the feelings and instead gestured towards the food in his hands. When Ana made no jump at the food, he chuckled.

"Don't all jump at once."

Silence.

Negan floated towards the kitchen, though his boots crunched the dirt on the floor. He laid the plate and juice on the ruined marble counter and turned his heels. Ana's bare legs were now crossed, covering her lower extremities in somewhat shame. The night before she had taken off her pants and washed them with the water Simon brought for dinner. They were drying on the doorknob to her room.

"Nothing I haven't seen before, sweetheart."

The weight of the comment was tangible. Negan shifted uncomfortably under Ana's cold eyes. When did she become so cold?

"I'm taking you to meet everyone today," Negan suggested, crossing his arms and pacing behind the couch. "I have some clothes in the truck-you smell like shit…Alright not the best joke, I admit. But honey, you have to clean up at some point."

He was rambling, a new low for his stature. Ana crossed her hands over her lap, and glanced towards the window. A black guard was peering at her back, covered only by the thin fabric of a tank top. Tears instantly appeared in her eyes. She was sitting naked in front of her husband and a parade of perverted men that no doubt would rape her as Simon had if given the chance.

Negan followed her gaze, travelled to the door and left abruptly. Moments later, the man disappeared and a shriek of pain soon emanated from the back of the house.

"Stop," Ana miserably whispered to no one, grasping at the hem of the blanket to cover her entire body. She rolled onto her side, facing the couch and continued to furiously fight back the tears that threatened to expose her weakness.

"Baby," the door opened quickly and slammed behind Negan's frame. With clothes in his hand, he traversed to the counter, and placed them down. He then walked to the couch, peered down at his wife, and tried to bring his hand to her face. His advancing fingers threatened to break the barrier Ana had worked to keep.

"No," she mumbled. Her tired, cracking voice surprised Negan. It had been so long since she had spoken to him, or said anything in his presence. Though the word typically meant the opposite, he found it welcoming.

He found himself sitting on the couch beside her, tugging at her frail body to fall into his arms. His strength was hard to overcome, and Ana found herself following through with his exact plans. Her head lay on his chest, hearing the fast rate of a persistent heart. His arm wrapped around her back, pulling the covers sideways so that her legs were including under its soft fabric.

"I'm sorry," Negan mumbled against her buttery hair. "I fucked up, Ana. I- I have no fucking explanation for my actions, and I understand the implication that follows, but I love you. I love you so much."

She melted against him, inhaling his scent and catching his words as if she would never hear him say them again.

"I'm never leaving you, baby," Negan mumbled, rubbing his hand against her firm cheek.

An hour later, Ana found herself dressed in the black tights and shirt that Negan provided and slowly slurping the orange juice. Her face was sore from the contortion that followed a hard sob, her head throbbing. However, Negan allowed her to place her emotional and physical weight on him as he led her tired body from the house to the small sedan that waited outside.

By now the sun had risen above the horizon, gently coating the forest in dainty sunlight. It was soft on Ana's sight, and she welcomed the fresh air that came with it. She hadn't been outside for days, and opening the windows had been a line she wasn't willing to cross.

An unrecognizable man sat in the front seat of the silver car that Negan led Ana to. Negan opened the door for her, and she slid in, looking at the driver curiously as her hands fumbled to pull at the tight fabric of the shirt. When the driver's blue eyes flickered up towards the mirror, she looked away at the leather seats and at a small stain on the hard carpet that reminded her of coke.

Negan slid in the other side.

"Josiah," he said sternly, "whenever you're ready would be nice."

The car started at once, leading Ana and Negan far away from the cabin. Most of the ride, his hand resided on her lap, gently stroking it while Ana watched the scenes change outside the window. She occasionally glanced into the side mirror, watching as the redness in her eyes, cheeks, and nose gradually faded.

It seemed hours had gone by before they appeared outside a large, dull compound surrounded by men with guns and large metal gates. Being led inside was a rush, and Ana seemed to zone out until they appeared in a tall room full of bustling people, all in conversation with one another. A few kids weaved through the crowds with food in their hands, shoving it into their mouths and teasing each other. Negan's presence seemed to halt the conversations as fearful eyes turned towards the leader.

"My wife, Ana," Negan announced, and then more quietly said, "my beautiful fucking wife."

Strange, reserved applause followed his words as a few shots of confusion were exchanged. Negan turned to Ana as soon as their voices became drowned out by the hoards of people.

"I need to prepare our room. Go find some friends."

Negan left before Ana had a chance to say goodbye. She crossed her arms, and glared into the atmosphere with questionable intentions. Her eyes landed on a brown-haired woman staring at her from across the compound. The woman was wearing nothing but a sheer black dress, and held a bottle of water in her hands. It was she who Ana decided to approach.

"Hello," she finally mumbled in the woman's direction after minutes of sorting through the crowd. The woman's brow pulled together as she reached out a hand.

"Sherry," she said in a surprisingly upbeat tone. Ana smiled, assured that people here would welcome her.

"Ana."

"I've heard. You're the newest wife?"

The question hit Ana between her ribs. She took a step back and squinted her eyes, "newest?" Her brain automatically sorted through the worst scenarios, causing her throat to clench before she knew the reason.

"I'm glad. We've been waiting for someone new to relieve the tension."

"What do you mean?" Perhaps Negan had married once again. This was understandable, as Ana was with Rick before she knew Negan's status.

"Amber has been misbehaving. Come, I'll introduce you to her and the others."

"What do you mean newest wife, Sherry?" Ana grabbed Sherry's wrist as the brunette began to leave. "Who's Amber?"

"Another one of his wives. I assume you already knew since he usually doesn't marry anyone outside the compound-"

"How many wives does he have?"

"I guess seven now, counting you."

A/N: _So I realize it has taken a while for me to post...and this chapter isn't that long. Not to worry! The coming premiere will fuel me to write just as much as I have been previously and since the new semester is settling into place, I should have more opportunities to write for all of you lovely followers :)_

 _Replies:_

 _I appreciate all your amazing comments, they make my day every time I read them!_

 _StTudnoBright: She doesn't know about the bat yet. Negan is purposely keeping it secret, since he believes she will be rightfully disturbed after figuring out the name. Stay tuned for next chapter to figure out where Ana will be kept in her new definition of hell. :)_

 _Boo4ME: Haha, he was pretty rude to Ana in the first few chapters because his thoughts were concerned with her intentions. Do you still perceive him as being rude, or has your opinion changed?_

 _I'm a Nerd and Proud: You HAVE to watch the last two episodes! They're so awesome despite Sasha! Also, I 100% agree with you on Simon and his punishment. Hopefully Ana finds a way to tell Negan soon, but I have a feeling some things will delay her confesesion..._

 _msgemgem: Connie was mentioned at the end of chapter 5, although I didn't dwell on her because I didn't foresee me making a chapter focused on her experiences with Ana. :) I'm sorry the story isn't for you, I hope you enjoyed it thus far :)_


	14. Chapter 14

14.

 **WARNING: Scenes in the following chapter may be disturbing to some readers. Exercise caution.**

Ana's throat was tight with agony as she followed Sherry through a maze of halls. A rock had settled at the very core of her stomach, imagining Negan fucking multiple women at once whilst knowing Ana was alive. Sherry, on the other hand, was rightly gleeful at the idea of another wife. They eased tensions for the first few weeks, and Negan tended to pay them more attention. It was likely that he would leave Sherry alone for a period of time while he warmed up to his new toy.

The depressive atmosphere of the room hit Ana before the two hit the open double doors. The cold actuality of hollow women seemed to have that effect.

The room itself was more unsettling than anything Ana saw in the compound thus far. Its gentle walls offered a false sense of serenity mixed with a hint of calamity. Ana's skin began to crawl at the sight of women dressed in similar attire performing various duties in the room. Two sat next to each other on the luxurious espresso couches, with one's hand on the other's leg. She counted four women in total, and curiously pondered the whereabouts of the last wife. Her thoughts offered an unnerving idea, which weakened her legs.

"Negan's new wife," Sherry announced, gaining the attention of the wives. A few of them sighed, offering a small smile. "This is Ana."

"Thank God," a redhead near slightly frosted windows breathed, gently dropping the glass in her hand onto the counter by a bar.

"Everyone will introduce themselves," Sherry whispered to the side, resting her hand on Ana's shoulder. "I'll show you the other rooms later."

Ana tried her best to say thank you, though nothing but a short rasp exited her chapped lips. She wasn't ready to meet these women. All she wanted was to return to Alexandria, and curl into her bed, close to Rick. Though, the idea of Rick simultaneously sleeping with Michonne the next house over wasn't exactly comforting.

It took a few tries to introduce herself to all of the present wives. Eventually she resorted to, "Hi, I'm Ana. It's so good to meet you, and I hope we can be friends." However, she knew she wouldn't be friends with any of these women. These women who slept with Negan on a daily basis already sickened her, and although she found nothing upsetting aside from the fact that they slept with her husband, she couldn't help but feel negatively towards any given one.

And so Ana resorted to leaving the room and attempting to get lost in the labyrinth. She drifted from space to space, and tread carefully near any one man or woman that resembled a guard.

The walk humbled her feelings, suppressing them under a bottle which Ana made sure to tighten. It also served as a means through which she organized her racing thoughts. She knew she wanted to leave; Negan having multiple wives was the last straw. It would be impossible to escape the place on impulse, a proper plan was warranted and that meant feeding into Negan's desires. It meant pretending to enjoy his company and the feel of his fingers on her skin –something Ana was not prepared for anymore.

The room Ana wound up in was less than preferable. It was a large bar or tavern with a genderless population that wavered to and from. A couple of familiar faces popped up in the dim corner of the establishment drinking what seemed to be a very heterogeneous mixture of wine. Ana gazed at it uncertainly and opted to leave the room when a dreaded hand landed on her shoulder.

"Ana, what are you doing down here?"

She reared her heel to face Simon's slightly parted alcohol-ridden lips. They curled into a smile as his hand slipped from her shoulder.

"I wanted to take a look around." She suddenly felt very cold.

"Why don't I bring you back to Negan's room?" Simon placed his hand on her hip, having no intention of doing what he proclaimed.

"I'd rather you not." She snaked away from his hand, unknowingly walking further into the bar.

"I don't think Negan would like you misbehaving," Simon raised an eyebrow, and the small exchange was beginning to arouse suspicion amongst the drunken populace. Ana's face heated, becoming red as her hands began to tie themselves together. The halls echoed, guards were present around every corner. If she got scared, she could yell. It was worth it to avoid the growing pairs of eyes that burned into her skin.

"Fine," she offered the smallest smile, "quickly."

Simon bit his lip, beginning to stride away from the bar and occasionally checking behind him to make sure Ana was there.

"You know, when I first saw you I didn't believe my eyes. Now you're here and wow-" he paused, glancing at Ana. "Anyway, how do you like the place? Magnificent isn't it?"

"Yes," Ana looked at the lights on the ceiling, counting them as she continued onwards.

"We recently revamped the Southern wing, you should check it out when you have a chance." Simon scratched his moustache, trying to think of any topic that could carry a conversation. "And at some point you'll have to check out the cafeteria, to eat."

"I know."

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"That night –the night you disappeared."

Ana forced a swallow and hugged her waist. "Lucille want eggs, and some gas line was exposed. She turned on a light and-"

"Boom," Simon chuckled, making a small explosion with his hands. Ana clenched her teeth but continued walking. "Then what?"

"Simon," Ana said, scanning the walls and feeling as if her chain to Negan was growing thin.

"Hm?" Simon turned around, observing her body with hungry eyes.

"I know this isn't the way back."

"Of course it isn't."

The statement took Ana back. It was odd that Simon decided to be so blunt. She nervously glanced behind her, noting the nondescript doors and passageways.

"Where are we going?" her voice cracked as she spoke, her breathing became more shallow.

"You'll see," he winked back at her, and Ana decided her only chance of escaping Simon's reach was to run. She took off in the opposite direction, quickly skirting around corners and ignoring the curious gazes of guards and passersby. To them, it probably seemed as if she were playing. The real cause was much more sinister.

Simon's loud footsteps echoed behind her soft, almost silent falls. She realized she took a wrong turn too late, and as she tried to take four rights, realized she was completely lost. It was evident there was no point in hiding, since Simon knew the layout of the sanctuary. Her only choice was to continue and hope to find some help soon.

It was when she noticed an abundance of guards, and the walls becoming grimier that her heart dropped. Anxiously, she ran up to a tall chubby one, holding a sandwich in one hand and a gun in the other.

"Help me, you have to help me!" she pleaded, hearing Simon's ragged breath just around the corner. The guard stood still, unaware of what to do.

"She's a prisoner, grab her!" came a loud, booming voice from behind. Suddenly, Ana's arm was grabbed and forced behind her as the slap of the guard's sandwich gently pervaded her ears. Her breath caught in her throat while she thrashed around, trying to escape the guard's thick fingers.

"Put her in twenty," Simon angry forced a loose piece of hair behind his ear, advancing towards the helpless girl at an alarming rate.

The cell Ana was thrown into was small, and had barely enough room to stretch out her legs. She could smell the sweat and blood on the cell's ground as her hands slammed against it. Instantly, she curled into the corner, far from the door. Simon followed her in, mumbling a quick sentence to the guard before harshly slamming the door behind them and cloaking them in darkness.

"Please don't," Ana whined as she heard a buckle bounce onto the cold floor.

"You asked for it," Simon muttered, grabbing both of her legs and once, and tugging them straight. Ana shrieked, and scrambled against the ground, scratching at the walls for any support. Her nails shredded across the damp rocks. Pain flooded her fingertips, but she ignored it and began to use her fists to punch Simon's chest. He sat on top of her legs effortlessly, pinning back both of her hands against the wall with only one of his. Then, he made sure to gently pull her pants, breathing alcoholic air into the small space. Ana continued screaming, since her body was incapacitated. She continued screaming until she felt pressure in her lower extremities, then a searing pain as Simon shoved himself into her. Her ability to breath dissolved as tears flooded from her eyes. Her body went limp, succumbing to Simon's touches and movements.

Agonizing minutes passed until Simon pulled out and finished in the corner of the room. Ana lay motionless, and had it not been for her quiet sobbing. Simon might've thought she was dead.

"Negan will get you," Simon muttered before leaving the cell. She heard a click behind him, and understood that she was locked in.

Once again, Ana made her way to the corner as she continued to cry, feeling her body melt into a puddle of despair and despondency. Immense sorrow washed over her like constant waves, as the sudden realization that Simon wasn't afraid of doing this locked into her head. He knew he was safe, he knew there was no way Negan would believe her –he wouldn't let the evidence stack up. She would be stuck here, reliving her definition of hell over and over again.

A/N: _wow this chapter was hard and disturbing to write, and I didn't go into much detail for a reason. But don't worry- Ana will be okay and things will soon get better!_

 _Replies:_

 _Every review makes my day and inspires me to write more. Thank you to all of those who have time to let me know their thoughts on the story :)_

 _I'm a Nerd and Proud: I totally feel you, I feel like the second half of this season is too slow, and I hope it picks up soon. I don't blame you for not watching it :). As for the OC idea, I'm totally up for it. Just PM me the character's name, description, and brief personality- I'd love to work with her!_

 _StTudnoBright: Negan's going to be in the dog house for an unbelievable amount of time...although it might not seem obvious. Since Ana has to play to Negan's desires, it might seem to him like she doesn't care about his wives. But he might never earn her trust back._


	15. Chapter 15

15.

If the room had been slightly darker, Ana might have thought she had gone blind. The dark confines of the cell kept her from seeing her hands a foot away from her face, and thus kept her from seeing any way out. It was nighttime, and the thin sliver of light at the bottom of the door had long gone.

She was wracked with guilt, with pain. Her back ached from constantly leaning on the uneven wall, her groin ached from prior events. It was a burning reminder of what she had been reduced to –a mere prisoner.

The temperature of the room wasn't helping either. It was humid, and Ana could tangibly feel the heaviness of the air surrounding her. It was another factor that furthered the girl's reasons to cry whenever she could muster the energy to. When she had no energy, she fell into a shallow sleep surrounded by her fears.

Time passed like this for only about a day, but to Ana it felt more like a year. With nothing to do but recall the events of the last twenty-four hours, her torturous time in jail was infinite. It wasn't until she heard the squeal of the door opening that she was able to bring herself back to reality, and truly discern how long she had been there for.

Big hazel eyes glared in her direction from the doorway. They were surrounded by dark curls.

"Are you Ana?" came a small, mouse-like voice.

Ana's throat hurt too much to talk, and she decided talking wouldn't do much for her anyway. She stayed silent, and instead nodded.

"I'm Logan-or well Loretta- but Logan for short. Negan told me he couldn't find you and people saw you in the tavern and then I talked to the guard out front and he said you drunkenly stumbled into the cell and didn't come out." The button-nosed girl took a deep breath after finishing her long sentence. Ana drew her brow together.

"Oh, of course. You want Negan. He'd been looking for you for most of today. Then he had to attend to some business, so he'll be back later," Logan explained.

Ana sighed in discontent, unsure of Logan's future intentions and slightly upset that Negan was not here to find her. She felt so alone, so cold and empty.

"Come on," Logan continued, "let's get you back to your bedroom."

Ana shook her head, shying away from Logan's open hand. She looked hurt by Ana's rejection, but quickly smoothed her features and pressed on.

"You're dirty. Let me help clean you up and after we can chill outside of this cell."

Ana truly considered the offer, knowing that a nice shower would make her feel much better. But she would have to leave her clothes, which were the only thing protecting her from absolute embarrassment and destruction. In a second, she decided she didn't want a shower, but would walk with Logan.

It took a few minutes for Ana to fully stand up. Her legs were sore and her knees cracked as she straightened them out. Her entire body felt fifty pounds heavier, and her head seemed to hang below her shoulders.

"What were you doing in there anyway?" Logan asked as they began to walk through the labyrinth. She had to constantly adjust her stride and speed as Ana figured out what was comfortable for her aching legs. When faced with the question, Ana merely peeked up at Logan before looking back down.

"Okay, I get it. You don't want to talk. That's okay, you don't have to right now. But Negan will ask questions, considering you were the farthest place from the bedroom in an unlocked cell alone."

Ana could play it off like she was drunk while she figured out how to prove Simon raped her. Or perhaps she could just come out with the truth as soon as possible. Either way, she couldn't see herself confiding in Logan.

Logan paused at the end of a hallway that forked off into two directions. She curiously looked down both, and shrugged before choosing one. "Let's see where this goes," she mumbled under her breath as she acquiesced across the dirty floor. "It must have taken me about two months to learn the entire landscape of this place. And that was before I had access to certain parts of the building. There's an entire wing dedicated to Negan's wives, y'know."

So this was the wife that was missing earlier. Ana breathed painfully, exhaling ragged breaths that Logan might have picked up on were she paying more attention.

"Anyway, I want to welcome you to our small clan. I know it's tough at first, but you don't have to be throwing yourself in jail. Negan's really understanding and will do his best to make you feel comfortable. Of course, if you misbehave, he won't be so understanding."

They passed a guard with a raised gun, pointed behind the two girls. Logan furrowed her brow at the sight, looking over her shoulder as the passed him before shrugging it off and leading them back to the pub-like area Ana had encountered. She sighed in relief when she noticed the place was practically empty, and void of Simon.

"I'll lead you back to our living space okay? You can stay there until Negan returns," Logan said, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. She straightened her shoulders, putting on her own version of a veneer for the Saviors.

Ana picked up on it, and though she tried to model her own stature after Logan's, felt ridiculous. Her body and face were both covered in dirt, her hair matted with grease, and her fingernails covered in dried blood. There was no way to look respectable, and so she crossed her arms, curling into herself in an attempt to seem smaller. Her efforts were in vain. The first people they passed by –two males wearing casual clothing- glared at Ana with concerned or amused eyes.

"People end up looking like you all sorts of ways. I'm sure they don't think too much of it," Logan said once the men were out of earshot.

Ana scoffed in her mind, knowing that they were obviously thinking of the ways she ended up looking like a corpse risen from the rotten grave. She kept her arms at her chest as they continued throughout the compound and kept her eyes hard, looking at anything but herself and other people. It took maybe five more minutes and Logan's constant rambling before they made it to a quiet hallway with multiple doors. Logan smiled, and seemingly picked one at random, and Ana followed her in. It led to a simple room. A black linen bed with a headboard was the centerpiece. In front of it sat an overpopulated bookshelf and a desk with papers thrown lazily on top of it. A few black clothes littered the floor.

"This is my bedroom," Logan said, introducing the cluttered area. "There is a shower just through that hallway," she pointed to the right of the bed, where a small walkway branched off into two separate sections. Ana questioned her next move. She wasn't sure a shower was what she wanted, but did not want to come off as rude. It took a moment for her to gather her response.

Ana nodded and offered a small smile, gently padding across the hard floor to the bathroom. The bathroom itself held nothing but a sink, toilet, and stand up shower. She gingerly opened the glass door that separated her from the inside of the shower, and turned the metal handle up. Slowly, water began spiraling from the showerhead towards the floor.

Ana then looked at her clothes. Although dirty, they made her feel safe, and sheltered from the world. And so, once the water turned lukewarm, Ana stepped into the shower clothes and all. She left the shower door open in case she needed to make a quick escape.

As soon as the water hit her skin, it turned a milky brown, and continued to the drain in the middle of the shower. It calmed her, and felt nice despite the weight her clothes gained. She paid this no mind, and reached for a small tube on the floor of the shower with the word SHAMPOO written in sharpie. Solemnly lathering her head, she felt the dirt run from her roots to tip and eventually off of her body. She pivoted her head upwards and opened her mouth, allowing clean water to fall into her mouth. When her mouth filled, she swallowed and sighed happily at the relief the water brought.

It had been a while since Ana had taken a shower, and finally the events of yesterday seemed further away.

When she turned off the shower and opened the door further, she noticed the bathroom door was slightly ajar. Did she leave it like that?

The answer was no –Logan had cracked the door and used a gray sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants as a doorstopper. Seeing the clothes, Ana looked down at her own and debated what to do. While she didn't want to change, she also didn't want to messy up the clean bathroom by dripping water all over the floor. And so, after slight hesitation, she began peeling the clothes from her wet skin bit by bit. A towel resided on the seat of the toilet, and so Ana used that to dry off her naked body. Glancing in the slightly fogged mirror, in front of her, she noticed how hollow she looked.

Her cheeks had caved in, her eyes sunken. The worst part of the picture was the way her ribs and hips jutted out in awkward angles, pushing against her taught skin. Ana forced down a wad of saliva and averted her eyes, focusing on the fresh pile of clothes. Sliding them on, she realized just how big they were. They threatened to fall off with any step of her feet, so the girl tucked the sweatshirt into the hem of the pants to keep them on her waist.

"Are you done?" came a voice from the room over. Ana draped the towel on the doorknob, and left the room, gathering her hair to the left of her neck.

Logan was on the bed, a book in her hands and glasses shoved against her face. Her once lose hair was now pulled into a tight braid which hung over her shoulders carelessly. Ana observed Logan's body for the first time. Her hourglass figure defied the post-apocalyptic world they lived in. Ana quietly pursed her lips, reminiscing on Simon's comment.

"I can feel your ribs clearly, darling. Not the hottest thing in the world."

She closed her eyes tightly.

"Are you okay?" Logan questioned.

Ana pulled her lips into a thin line and opened her eyes again, nodding and then paying attention to Logan's new accessory.

"Reading glasses," Logan said, pulling the glasses from her eyes and closing them. She stood up and placed them on the desk across from the bed before staring at Ana. "Listen, why don't you take a nap? I'll be here the entire time."

Ana felt wary about this. She wasn't exactly comfortable with someone watching her while she slept, but she realized that sleeping without Logan would make her much more vulnerable.

She nodded again, making her way towards the black covers. Carefully, she pulled the first layer down enough to slip under. The mattress was soft. It molded to her body, hugging her bones and providing a soft cushion for them. She tried to stay quiet, and listened as Logan sat at her desk and began to flip through the pages of her book. Sleep encapsulated her a few minutes later.

"Wake up."

Ana opened her eyes, blinking lightly as she noticed the setting she was in had changed. She was in a naturally lit room, clenching thin cream sheets between her warm fingers. She felt the sheer nakedness of her body rubbing against those same sheets. Logan had left her. And now she was vulnerable in front of-

In front of who?

Ana's eyes travelled the room, noticing the billowing curtains that covered a wide window, and the few candles that were littered lazily around the room. And there-in the corner-

"Rick," Ana breathed, in relief. Rick was standing with his back turned towards her, and only shifted his position when she called his name. He smiled brightly back at her, and she noticed he had been in the process of buttoning his shirt. The sunlight danced against his bare skin, bathing it in positive light. For the first time in what seemed like weeks, Ana genuinely smiled. She reached out an arm, her hand twirling in attempts to grab onto Rick's wrist. He chuckled slightly and took a step towards her, gently letting his fingers slide across her skin.

Ana sighed, closing her eyes as shivers threatened her arms. "How did I get here?"

"I made a deal with Negan," Rick said while sitting on the bed next to her, "I missed you," he whispered, leaning close to her.

"I missed you too," Ana replied, "but what about Michonne?"

"She's not right for me. You are."

Ana grinned, allowing him to place a kiss on her cheek, and then her lips. He tasted like alcohol, which was the last thing Ana expected from him. Then again, maybe alcohol had been his escape. Apocalypses have the tendency to make people do the unpredictable.

The kiss lasted longer than Ana wanted to, and with each second, Rick pushed himself further onto Ana's body.

"I don't want to do this right now," Ana mumbled into his lips quietly, suddenly becoming aware of how close his bare skin was to her chest.

"You need this right now," Rick pressed on, reaching for the sheets.

"Rick stop," Ana pushed against his chest, but he wouldn't budge. His hands hungrily forced themselves onto her body. "Stop!" Ana cried, forcing her eyes closed, as tears fell against her cheeks. "Stop, please!"

When she opened her eyes again, new arms were around her. Her head was pressed against a different, welcoming chest as hands gently rubbed her shoulders.

"I have you," Negan whispered against Ana's hair. Her breath was heavy, real tears were falling from her eyes but she no longer felt threatened. The arms around her were safe. The arms around her would never hurt her.

A/N: _I tried to make this chapter slightly longer than the last one, as a treat to all of you who have been so patient! Thank you so so so much for 200 followers and 24,000 views, I never thought this flimsy story would get that far._

 _Also- I have a question for you all: Rick or Negan? Why? Let me know in the reviews!_

 _I hope you all enjoy the season finale tonight._

 _Replies:_

 _I love all of your reviews. They make me smile, and further enjoy what I do!_

 _I'm a Nerd and Proud: I hope you enjoy how I incorporated Logan into my story :). Also, I have a hard time watching the TV show without wanting to kill and destroy Simon every time he appears. I can't wait for Negan to find out_

 _StTudnoBright: Don't worry, Ana will most likely spill everything! And Negan won't be too happy to figure out that his right hand man has been hurting his wife._


	16. Chapter 16

16.

Something was wrong with Ana's food, but she couldn't figure it out. So, she used her fork to twirl around the leaves and tomatoes, looking for a flaw.

Negan watched her curiously as he shoved a piece of chicken into his mouth. "Didn't I ever teach you not to play with your food?" he joked. The joke flew past Ana's ears as she was deep in thought, trying to figure out the problem with her meal. Negan groaned as he realized she wasn't paying attention.

The two sat on a couch next to each other, in the room Ana had been in the day before. She was still wearing Logan's baggy clothes.

"What were you doing in that cell? Did you get lost and decide to take a nap?" Negan placed his fork and knife on the plate in front of him, and shifted his body to face Ana's. He was ready for some answers.

Ana flicked her tired eyes up at his, her mouth curled downwards. He could see the pain behind her eyes, and ached for her to confide in him. She swallowed thickly and turned her gaze back to the food.

"Come here," Negan ordered. Ana's memory flashed back to his hands pushing into her bruises and she winced. It seemed as if everyone around her was using her for their own personal gain. Negan of all people should be able to understand her reluctance to obey him. He hurt her. But then again, his arms protected her. They kept her safe from Simon and her demons.

Ana sighed. It would be easier to be alone.

"Ana," Negan broke her from her thoughts.

"I don't want to be touched, Negan."

The words cut into his skin, creating a deep gash he would have to recover from. An hour earlier she was curled into his arms, crying and pulling herself closer to his chest in comfort. Now she was cold as ice, wanting nothing to do with him. What did he do now?

Ana herself wasn't sure if she wanted his arms or not. She knew when she woke up that he was all she wanted. But now, the tape of Simon pushing her against the wall played on repeat, and the idea that Negan had purposely hurt her made her stomach curl and twist violently. There wasn't something wrong with the food in front of Ana, there was something wrong with her.

She put her fork down on the plate carefully, deciding that bothering Negan was not a good idea. Perhaps not telling him the truth was bothering him as well. Perhaps Ana should just come out with the truth and face whatever consequences and embarrassment it brought.

"If we're going to make this work you need to talk to me."

"If we're going to make this work you need to get rid of your wives," Ana spit back accidentally. She didn't mean to bring up the topic of wives when there were so many other subjects to discuss, but something pulled the words from her throat. Negan sighed heavily and shifted his position on the couch, carefully setting down his plate of food on the table and placed his hands in his lap.

"Is that the reason you're acting like this, Ana?" he asked, looking down at his hands.

"Yes," Ana croaked out, though she knew that his wives were only part of the reason she felt like the world was caving in around her.

Negan carefully thought out his next response. "They are here for economic purposes. If you would like I can stop sticking my dick in them, but they will still hold the title of being my wife."

That was fair enough for Ana. Knowing that her husband would stop bedding these women took some pressure off of her shoulders. Now what?

She would have to go through with her plan to attend to Negan's desires in attempts to escape the compound. Carefully, she slid her thighs across the cushion towards Negan. He noticed what she was doing and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her towards him. She inhaled sharply at his touch but somehow managed to overcome her fear and anxiety through a couple of deep breaths.

"Atta girl," Negan breathed once Ana's head resided just below his chin. He kissed her hair and inhaled her scent. She cowered beneath him, wrapping her arms around each other and resting her hands on her shoulders as his hand stroked her side. Each painstaking moment brought her closer to breaking, brought the lump in her throat closer to the surface. Just when the tears began to spill from her eyes, Sherry burst through the door with a sandwich in her hands and cast a negative look in their direction. Ana used her entrance as an excuse to sit up straight, wipe the tears from her cheeks before Negan saw them, and straighten her shirt.

"Sherry, what the fuck are you thinking?" Negan groaned, obviously annoyed by the lack of Ana's head on his chest.

"I was thinking I needed a break, and some alcohol," Sherry shot. She bit into her sandwich while striding to the bar, where she looked for a bottle of anything besides aged wine.

"Well, I'm going to go beat my meat in the other room." Negan said sharply before kissing Ana's forehead meaningfully and leaving the room.

"He has a million women to have sex with-" Sherry began.

"Ana!" The door opened again, revealing a very distressed looking Logan with her dark chestnut hair tied up in a messy bun.

"What?" Ana folded her hands in her lap and looked up, confused at the sudden rush of action. Moments ago, it had been much more quiet. Though, she was thankful for Logan and Sherry's entrance.

"I've been looking everywhere for you. Come here." Logan abruptly grabbed Ana's hand from her lap and hauled her off of the couch, pulling her into the hallway before Ana had time to bid goodbye to Sherry. Once she was on her feet, she was dragged a few doors down and pushed into Logan's room. The door closed hard behind them.

"What's wrong?" Ana questioned.

"Nothing," Logan smiled brightly, "I just wanted to hang out with you." She jumped onto the bed, landing with her legs crossed as she dug through a pile of papers before finding a blank one. Then, she turned around and grabbed a pen off of her pillow. "Tic-tac-toe?"

Confused at Logan's excitement, Ana calmly sat on the corner of the bed and realized she had nothing to do but accept the offer. Logan beamed, quickly drawing the playing board multiple times on the paper. Once done, she handed the pen to Ana.

Ana cautiously drew an x in the center of the board before returning the writing utensil.

"So how is it going with Negan?" Logan asked, making her move on the piece of paper. They continued exchanging the pen while they conversed.

"It's going good, I suppose."

"No, really, Ana. How is it going? It's always hard when you first sign up to be his wife. All he wants to do is sleep with you, but that'll go away after a week or so." Logan noticed Ana's expression as she mentioned Negan's habits in the bed. Her face curled into pain. Was that jealousy or did something sinister happen?

"He hasn't expressed that desire, yet," Ana mumbled, realizing she lost the game and beginning to start a new one.

"Surely that's a good thing?" Logan asked. She knew not to pry, but couldn't help herself.

"It depends."

"On what?"

"Logan, I really don't want to discuss this right now."

That was Logan's cue to stop. She pulled back her prying fingers and focused on the task at hand. She knew Ana was hurting, for whatever reason, and knew that she needed a distraction. So, once she allowed Ana to win the second game of tic-tac-toe, she brought up a different topic. "Do you like singing Ana?"

"Huh?" Ana was trying to keep up with Logan's habit of switching topics quickly.

"Singing, you know, la la la la. I used to sing all the time when I was little. I still do, just not as much. It's hard to find privacy to sing alone considering everyone here lives back to back."

"I don't sing much," Ana said honestly, and shrugged at the look Logan replied with. It was a mix of confusion and playfulness. Truth be told, Ana hadn't sung more than a few lines since Lucille had passed. Lucille always enjoyed Ana's short songs before bed time. They calmed her and allowed her to sleep peacefully. Now every time a melodic tune left Ana's lips, she was brought back to the painful memory of Lucille burning in the flames.

"Singing is a great way to get your mind off of your problems. Considering MP3 players don't work anymore, and we aren't exactly the hub for walkmans, you have to make your own kind of music."

When Ana didn't reply, Logan huffed and placed the pen in her hand on the bed, shoving the paper out of their way.

"I'm going to make you sing with me," she concluded, "whether you want to or not."

Ana wasn't sure singing was the best alternative to discussing her sex life with Negan. Either topic was likely to make her cry, but it seemed as if she couldn't back out of this corner.

"Now what's a classic song you know?"

Ana had to think about the question. She hadn't sung for a long time and figured that most of the songs she knew were in bits and pieces. However, after a minute passed with Logan impatiently waiting for an answer as she tapped her foot against the bed, a song floated through Ana's mind. She grabbed at it and slowly, all of the lyrics came back to her.

"Father and son," she said. It was something she used to sing to Lucille as a baby. With regret, she locked in her choice of song with a slight nod. "Yeah, that one."

Logan burst with excitement and pent up tension, "finally! I think I know that one. It's by, uh, uh," Logan looked for the name of the band within the tangle of wires that made up her train of thought.

"Cat Stevens," Ana offered. She curled her hands together, observing her fingernails.

"Alright I'll start…ready?"

Ana did nothing but move her head up and down.

"Dun dun dun dun, duneaw, duneaw," Logan imitated the guitar with great difficulty, but it got the job done. She continued like this for a few more seconds before belting into the first verse. "It's not time to make a change! Just relax, take it easy."

Ana was caught off guard by Logan's voice. It was not similar to Cat Steven's in any way. His voice was jagged though calm. Her's was graceful and pure. Ana wasn't sure she could live up to the job. Her own voice was more mellow and quiet, like her personality.

"You're still young, that's your fault," Ana offered quietly. Logan smiled wildly as she heard Ana's voice chime in. They continued singing together, even getting up and dancing on the bed at one point. At another, Ana started to cry but Logan quickly grabbed her a tissue and told her a few jokes to cheer her up. Ana continued dancing once she had a hold of her emotions. Logan was able to see a different side of Ana for the first time. Negan was too, as he burst in on their dancing in order to call Ana to a meeting he was arranging with Simon and a few of the others.

"I don't want to go," Ana said earnestly, afraid of seeing Simon since the whole ordeal. She was standing on top of the bed, but quickly resumed a sitting position once stating her opinion.

"You don't have to talk. I just need to introduce you to a few people."

"Negan…"

"C'mon baby girl."

"Negan they don't need to know who I am."

"I beg to differ," Negan teased, taking a step into the room. Logan was still standing on the bed, her arms crossed as she watched the exchange.

"Fine," Ana whispered gravely, joining Negan's side. He wrapped a hand around her waist possessively and bid adieu to Logan with a quick wave. Then, the two departed into the hallway and Dwight joined them. Had he been listening in on their entire conversation? He was carrying Negan's choice of weapon in his steady hands, gliding it through the air with precision. Negan's fingers tapped against Ana's fragile skin in a rhythmic pattern as he chose between two hallways leading opposite ways.

"Right here," he said once they chose a hallway. A large metal double door was opened by Dwight, revealing a group of Saviors sitting in garnet leather couches. One was browsing books that lined the walls and another was standing over a mocha colored desk behind one of the couches. Simon was sitting on a couch, next to a female with brown hair and dark skin. His eyes slid down Ana's body before meeting her eyes, winking. Gooseflesh covered her arms and she sunk against Negan. Negan himself watched the exchange, from the very first moment they opened the door. His free hand balled into a fist with anger before relaxing. There was no reason to think that Simon would move on Ana.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is my lovely bride, Ana," Negan announced, peeling his eyes from Simon and back at his wife who was shriveled against him in attempts to make herself seem smaller.

"Ana, that's Arat," Negan said, pointing to the dark skinned girl next to Simon. She smiled warmly at Ana. "You know Simon. That's Gavin," he said about the man looking at the books. "And that's Wade," he pointed to the man near the desk.

"Okay," Ana mumbled softly, stilling looking at Simon. There was something about the look in his eyes that told her that she wasn't going to survive tonight.

A/N: _Oh my. It's been a long time since I posted a chapter and for good reason. In the past three months I've been to three hospitals and had some outpatient things to attend. That, and the end of the school year (exams, projects, etc) meant there was very little time for me to find to right. Now it's summer and I'm thinking of writing another fanfiction for the TV show Supernatural!_

 _Replies:_

 _Thanks to everyone who replies, I greatly appreciate reading them._

 _I'm a Nerd and Proud: Rick has gone off the deep end. Hopefully he can still salvage parts of himself. I tried to include another Logan scene in here just so I can build their bond together :) I'm glad you took time out of your day to read_

 _VampWolf92: Thanks so much, it means so much knowing you enjoy this story._

 _StTudnoBright: Don't worry, Simon will be punished soon enough ;). I hope you enjoyed the small AnaxNegan scene I added in here!_


	17. Chapter 17

17.

Ana left the meeting with her arms wrapped around her stomach in a comforting manner. Negan was by her side, gingerly offering his hand every few minutes but Ana never took him up on his offer. She instead kept her distance, and traveled a foot or two from his side. This upset Negan, considering that he thought the meeting went well. He shared the fact that they were going to see Rick soon -something that must be something for Ana to look forward to, as much as it pained Negan to realize.

Ana felt sick. Her stomach was tied in knots at the idea of seeing Rick again, after knowing what happened last time when Rick simply looked in her direction. She was also terrified of Simon, who was trailing behind the two with the excuse that he was protecting Negan. Negan had said he didn't need any protection, which Ana agreed with. Nonetheless, there was Simon with a knife in hand and a smirk on his face.

"Is there a snake in your boot or something?" Negan finally broke the silence between the two, glancing across the hallway at his wife's face.

"I'm fine, Negan," Ana forced through gritted teeth.

"Don't fucking lie, I'm tired of that bullshit."

With that, Ana looked over her shoulder at Simon, who showed his teeth in a wide smile. She clenched her hands, and took a step closer to Negan. He welcomed it, and used the opportunity to throw his arm around her shoulder. The feeling caused Ana to completely stop in her tracks, her eyes clenched shut. Don't touch me, she whispered into her head, please, don't touch me.

"Ana, what the hell?" Negan stopped next to her. With a second thought, he made eye contact with Simon and demanded he leave. Simon retreated awkwardly.

"I'm just not feeling well," Ana whispered below her breath. Negan had the ears to hear it, and rubbed her back comfortingly. But to Ana, the texture of his hands on her back was another dreaded feeling. She wanted his hands off of her. She stood there quietly for a couple of minutes, clenching her fists together, when Negan brought his hand to his side and sighed.

"Well shit, Ana. You haven't felt well since you were born."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize." Negan kept his mouth open as if he were to say more, but something turned in his mind and he switched gears. "Go get packed, we leave in twenty."

Ana took his dismissal and scurried down the hall, not quite sure where she was going but just trying to place some distance between herself and Simon. Eventually she wound up near the wives' lounge area and tracked her way back to her bedroom. She was about to open the door and then caught herself. No, she wouldn't be safe alone. That gave Simon more advantage. No one would hear her in her room -the walls were too thick. So, she turned on her heel and headed for Logan's room.

Logan opened the door immediately after Ana knocked, as if she hadn't been doing anything. But as Ana peered into the room, she saw a multitude of books and papers spread out across the bedspread.

"What's up?" Logan asked curiously.

"Nothing, I just need a place to hide," Ana offered.

"Oh yeah, sure, of course, come in. Y'know, I totally understand that feeling."

But it wasn't a feeling, it was a safety issue.

Ana slid past Logan into her room and stared at the messy bed for a few moments.

"Oh, I've been writing," Logan explained.

"Do you have any clothes I could use for the next day or so?"

"Why?"

"I'm-" Ana paused, and carefully thought through her words. "I'm leaving with Negan in fifteen minutes and he told me to pack."

"Oh, yeah, of course," Logan replied, walking to a bureau and rummaging through a few sets of clothes. She eventually pulled out a dark black hoodie with a pair of sweatpants. Then, she handed them to Ana. Ana took them and wrapped them up in each other before folding it over the crook of her elbow. She had ten minutes to kill before departure, so she took a seat on the cleanest part of the bed and took a deep breath.

"You okay?" Logan asked.

No, Ana wasn't okay. She had been abused by Simon countless times and could not bring herself to say anything. Plus, she was going to see the one person that Negan would hurt her over, and that didn't make her feel any better.

"Yeah, just stressed. We're going to see an old friend."

"Oh boy. I wish I could see my friends. Most of them are probably dead though," Logan sighed.

"Logan," Ana said after a brief moment of contemplation, "where did you come from?"

Logan smiled, and cleared a spot on the bed next to Ana before sitting down. "Southern tip of D.C. I lived there with my cat, Neko."

"What happened to him?"

"Her, actually."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault, Neko sounds like a guy's name. Anyway, she got out of the house when I was trying to load things into my car and I have no idea where she went. I'm sure she's dead too, but I still have hope sometimes."

Ana crossed her legs. She wished she had lost something as simple as a cat.

There was a small knock at the door.

Ana's heart began to beat faster as Logan left the bed to open it. Luckily, it was Dwight standing behind the door with a small smile on his face.

"Time to go," he said lightly, gesturing to Ana. Ana scooted off the bed to the door, and said a quick thank you and goodbye to Logan. Then, she followed Dwight into the hall where he led her through the maze of a compound, until the wounded up out front, where a couple of cars greeted them.

"You'll be with Negan," he said, leading Ana to a small silver sedan. He opened the passenger side door and let Ana slide in. She pulled her arms to herself inside the car. The air conditioner was on, and it was cold. Goosebumps lined her dainty arms as she looked through the window at all the walkers a few yards ahead of her. Then, something caught her eye.

Daryl.

That had to be Daryl, she figured, staring wide-eyed at the being mere feet away from the car, dressed in some sort of overthrow and brushing his hair out of his eyes. Her thoughts were cut in half as she saw Carl walk to the truck in front of her, casually, as if nothing was wrong. Something twisted in her heart. What had happened while she was busy worrying about what Simon would do to her? What the hell happened?

Carl hopped into the truck as soon as the car's driver door opened. Negan fell in lazily, and spent a couple of minutes adjusting his seat.

"Why-" Ana stopped herself. Asking Negan about Carl might only make things worse.

"Sweetie don't pull that half-a-sentence shit," Negan muttered, pulling at his seatbelt.

"No, it's fine," Ana mumbled, looking at the window. Daryl was staring straight at her with ferocious eyes. What was he thinking? Did he think she was betraying Alexandria?

She had no time to contemplate this further, as Negan pulled the car around the truck and began to drive to the main road. Daryl slowly disappeared from view, Ana watched him in the sideview mirror as he became a small dot in the background.

"All this nature shit makes me miss the park," Negan commented. The park. Ana sighed. She wanted to go to the park. She stopped focusing on Daryl and stared straight ahead, at the road littered with dead bodies. "Well don't just stay quiet like some limp ragdoll. Talk to me."

"I'm not feeling well," Ana replied.

"You didn't feel well since the second Tuesday of last week. What the fuck is up?"

"Let it go."

"No, I will not let it the fuck go. Are you this miserable with me? I have literally everything you need, what else do you need, princess?" he said sarcastically.

"Negan, please," Ana felt herself tearing up like a five year old that barely fell on the playground. She didn't want to have this conversation right now, and the fact that she had no control over what Negan would say to her only brought her further into a pit of despair.

"There's a reason you're saying 'Negan, please'. Can you make this easier for both of us and tell me for the love of God?"

"You don't want to know."

But he did want to know, and as he drove the small sedan towards Alexandria, he decided that he was going to figure out what it was whether Ana wanted to share it or not. He deserved to know.

"Ana, I'm sick of this stunt your pulling. Tell me."

Ana felt her heart begin to race, and her breathing became shallow. Her throat began to tighten.

"Annnnaaaa," Negan said in a sing-song voice. "Aannnaaaa."

"Stop!" Ana suddenly shouted, louder than she thought she could shout. Soft sobs began to control her body as her mind raced about what happened with Simon. He had taken advantage of her in the cold, dark cell. She began to feel his hands on her body, pushing at her ribs. She began to feel his legs rubbing against her thighs, and his chest threatening to crush her. She lost control, and her sobs became louder. "Stop, stop, stop!" she screamed.

Negan took this as a sign, and skidded to a stop, nearly causing the truck behind them to crash into the trunk. He unbuckled himself and reached across the car with both arms, grabbing Ana into his arms and holding her tight.

"Stop!" Ana tried to fight him off of her, but he wouldn't let go. He held her through her sobs as she clawed at his arms, drawing blood. "Get off of me!" Her arms fell to her side as she realized he wouldn't let go, and she leaned into him, crying hysterically.

"What happened to you, Ana?" Negan whispered into her hair.

Ana tried to take a deep breath. It didn't work and she broke down bawling for a few more seconds. Then, things seemed to lighten. Her lungs inhaled air clearly, and let it go in a strong breath.

"Simon raped me," she said in a clear voice.

A/N: _In lieu of the new episode of the Walking Dead, I was inspired to finish writing this chapter and the following chapter. I will be uploading the other chapter sometime soon, as I know these have been long awaited by many of you. Since I want to get this up as quick as possible, I will be replying to reviews in the next upload. Enjoy! I also apologize for any spelling errors, as I reread this very quickly!_


	18. Chapter 18

18.

Negan made no response, no sign of showing that he heard her. The only thing he did was tighten his hold on Ana and rest his head against hers. Then, he sighed heavily. Seconds later, without any words, he let go of Ana and put the car into drive.

The rest of the ride was quiet. Ana had silenced her sobs and instead stared at the window at the walkers they passed by, regretting telling Negan even more with every second that passed. Her hands were twisted together in her lap as they pulled up to Alexandria's gate, her stomach doing flips every time she thought she was closer to seeing Rick.

But Rick wasn't at the gate. It was a couple of people that Ana had seen around Alexandria when she lived there; no one she knew the names of. However, they vehemently remembered Negan and so the gate was opened in a matter of seconds.

Negan parked the car outside the compound and exited, Ana followed his actions. She trudged behind him past the gate along with everyone from the truck that had been trailing behind them. Carl came to Ana's side, gripping her hand as if to say things were going to be alright. It was as if he knew what he had just confessed.

"Get your hands off of her, she's my cougar. Got enough men touching her already," Negan said with venom in his voice and pointed his bat at Carl. Carl reluctantly let go of Ana's hand, stepping a couple feet away from her. When they were inside Alexandria, Negan turned to Ana and placed a hand on her back.

"Go get a shower," he smiled.

Ana scurried away, looking past the faces of Alexandria and searching for Rick amongst the crowd. She needed him, needed him to tell her things were going to be okay. To tell her that Negan wasn't going to kill her because Simon raped her, because as far as Ana knew, that's exactly what Negan was going to do. And so, because of this fear, she hurried past Negan and his followers, around the familiar block to Rick's house, where she figured Rick might be, and swung the door open. A very surprised Olivia stood staring at her, a piece of bread in her hands.

"Ana!" she shouted, running from her place in the kitchen to the thin girl and tightly wrapping her arms around her. "How did you get away?"

"I didn't get away," Ana whispered, glancing out the door behind her before shutting it, "Negan's here."

"Oh," Olivia looked at the piece of bread in her hand a quietly took a piece of it with her teeth. "Are we safe?"

"I don't know, I'd say you are with me, but I can't promise that now. Look, I need to get a shower. Can you grab some clothes from my hou-my old house and put them outside the upstairs bathroom?"

Olivia nodded.

"Be safe, and don't get on his nerves," Ana warned, before taking the steps two at a time to the upstairs bathroom. Once there, she flipped on the shower and watched as warm water began to fall from the head, pooling at the drain cautiously.

She soon peeled off her clothes and stared at herself in the mirror. Her body was a mess-bones jutted out at every opportunity and bruises lingered every so often. This was it. This was her. Before she started crying, Ana hopped into the shower, almost yelping when she realized how hot the water was. So, she turned the temperature down and searched for shampoo.

Telling Negan was a mistake, that was for sure. Thinking about it now, Ana wanted to slap herself. Why would Negan do anything about this? Simon was Negan's righthand man-there was no way he was less important than Ana at this point. The old Negan would have never laid his hands on her skin menacingly, but after what happened with Rick, Ana was positive he would hurt her and blame her for Simon's actions. This was the third time her body would be violated by someone in the past couple of weeks. Her legs felt weak at the thought. The shampoo bottle in the corner of the shower suddenly seemed so far away. She didn't want any more pain. She didn't want to be a ragdoll for everyone to touch and hurt as they pleased. The idea that she was made her knees give out, forcing her to the floor of the shower with a sickening bang. Her knees throbbed as tears forced their way through her quiet veneer and she found herself breaking down again, as she had in the car with Negan.

She heard footsteps outside the door and then sudden banging.

"Ana, what the hell was that?"

It was Negan.

She cursed under her sobs as she remembered that she had forgotten to lock the door behind her, and as she found herself regretting every single decision she had made that day, Negan forced his way through the door. He saw Ana sitting on the floor of the shower, blood coming from under her kneecaps, her head in her hands. He forced open the shower door and grabbed the wet girl, gathering her into his arms as the water poured down on them. Ana didn't fight against him, she knew that any attempt to get him off of her would be futile; he was holding her with a vice-like grip. Instead, she leaned against him, crying into his white shirt and pulling at his neck to comfort her further.

They sat there, Ana crying against Negan, for a good fifteen minutes, after which Negan quickly left to grab a robe from one of the bedrooms. He helped Ana into it, and then helped her to her feet, taking notice of the scrapes on her knees. He would have a doctor look at those later. Ana, still crying, walked alongside Negan to the nearest bedroom they could find. She found herself collapsing on the bed and curling into a ball, wiping tears from her eyes in a furious fashion. Negan lay down beside her, wrapping an arm around her torso and holding her close. And he held her like this until she fell asleep.

It had been an hour or so since Ana fell asleep, and she woke to a fuzzy feeling and a strange taste in her mouth. She sat up instantly, noticing a pile of clothes at the far end of her bed. Despite her knees hurting, she dressed quickly and walked downstairs. No one was inside the house, but she heard yelling from outside. So, she walked to the front door to see what was going on.

Ana's head had barely exited the door when she saw movement on the ground beneath the porch. Negan stood above Spencer, whose guts were sprawled on the floor like some sort of twisted Pollock painting. Ana's stomach made a leap for her mouth as she tried to avert her eyes. Her head jerked towards the current item of interest, Rosita. She was on her back, helpless as a Savior stood over her with a gun pointed at her head. Ana, confused, stepped forward until she stood just behind Olivia, Carl, and Judith. Carl peered over his shoulder, a look of horror on his face as his eyes connected with Ana's. She wasn't sure how to respond, merely placed a hand on his back and rubbed it softly, hoping it would comfort him in some sense.

"You are such a bad ass!"

Ana's head jerked towards her husband with surprise as Rosita ousted herself, instead of the real culprit. Silently praying, Ana brought her hands from Carl in front of her, and took a small step forward. Olivia sidestepped a centimeter, allowing Ana to watch something she wasn't even sure she could stomach. Sure, Negan had been down and dirty in front of her, but this was a whole new level. She wasn't sure she could handle him hurting her friends, or prior companions. She shot a worried look at her feet, then towards Negan. Was he angry because of Simon? Or did something more happen while she had been sleeping?

"Fine," he said, "have it your way."

"No," she heard Olivia whisper, and quickly realized what Negan was about to do.

"Stand behind me," Ana ordered quietly. Olivia and Carl stood their ground and Ana worriedly tapped on the shoulders. "He won't hurt me."

Realizing she was probably right, the two stepped slightly behind her, though not enough to seem obvious.

"Arat, kill somebody."

Ana clenched her teeth and looked down the road, seeing Rick hobbling along with Aaron as Negan swung around in circles, trying to figure out who Arat would kill. Negan's eyes landed on Ana in sudden worry, realizing she wasn't supposed to be outside, she was supposed to be sleeping. However, he had no time to intervene before he heard the loud shot of a bullet, and saw a gun pointed in Ana's direction. She fell almost instantly.

Negan stood still for a second, looking for signs of movement as his face contorted into a monster of anger and anguish. He turned towards Arat with defying eyes, marching towards her and bringing Lucille over his head and down against hers in a sickening crack. She collapsed to the floor, still alive. Negan left her there to suffer, dropping Lucille on the ground and rushing to the porch.

Rick, noticing what happened, screamed at the top of his lungs and hurled himself towards the porch, only to be stopped by Savior arms holding him back. He struggled against them for a bit, watching in fury as Negan held Ana in his arms. Tears streamed down Rick's face as he prepared to say goodbye to yet another love.

When Ana collapsed, she fell on top of something soft, she recognized that. Other than that, nothing registered except the searing pain and loud ringing present in her ear. Bright lights swam in front of her face as she blinked in puzzlement, unsure of where she was or how she got there. The first thing she noticed was a swarm of brown hair as Carl bent over her, gently turning her head to the side before he was pushed away by a larger person.

The person said her name, albeit in a very muffled voice, and lifted her into his arms. Her head lolled towards him, as she was unable to support it for very long.

"Stay awake baby," Negan stroked her face, pulling at her jacket and forcing it against her ear. This was when things turned to black.

A/N: _AA! I'm sure this was a chapter a lot of you were waiting for and yet I left so much up in the air, how awful of me! I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless and welcome to the new followers, I hope you all are loving this journey as much as I am. And now for the much-needed replies:_

 _Replies:_

 _General reply: I'm so glad all of you are enjoying this story, it continues to amaze me how many of you take time to leave a review for me. It means so much._

 _I'm a Nerd and Proud: I think that would make a perfect scene but first we have to see- will Ana make it back to the compound? The answer, of course, is hopefully, right?_

 _VampWolf92: Thanks man! I try my best to make these quality chapters for you guys to read. I'm hoping to get the next chapter up soon._

 _StTudnoBright: Thank you so much for your well wishes :). Let's hope that Negan does something awful to Simon when he gets back to the compound, huh?_

 _sreid045: HERE YOU HAVE IT! even though it is not his total reaction, it's part of it._

 _Guest: Thank you, I hope things are going okay for you too, considering you still stopped by to read this story after all this time has passed. Logan is an amazing person for Ana! They are friend-mates (instead of soulmates)._

 _diverge-ent: The first episode was so great! I can't wait for tonight's episode to air. I wanted to update this before it did air, in case anyone wanted to read it before seeing the episode._


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